Atlas Twp.-A drug habit may have been the motivation for a Flint couple that had allegedly been breaking into several area homes.
Dawn Ludwig, 34, and Jonathan Karalla, 28, are charged with first degree home invasion, a 20-year felony, and second degree home invasion, a 15-year felony in connection with burglaries on April 11 and 18.
Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell said on April 11 the pair allegedly forced the door open of a home in the 12000 block of Stonehill Drive where a 91-year-old male and his 78-year-old wife reside. The suspects allegedly removed electronics, jewelry and a lock box contain the man’s World War II medals. There was no one home at the time of the incident.
On April 18, a 43-year-old Threadriver Drive resident told authorities she returned home and chased an unknown male from her house. The woman, who called 9-1-1, said the man exited the home and jumped in a white Pontiac G6 driven by a female. Pickell said the homeowner provided a partial license plate number of the getaway car.
The following day, on April 19, a nearby Horton Road resident saw a suspicious white Pontaic G6 and took a picture of the license plate with her camera phone. The number matched the partial license plate number the day before near the Threadriver Drive home. The vehicle was registered to Ludwig who lives on Yale Street in Flint.
Pickell said the car was reported during a traffic stop near the Genesee Valley Center. The couple was arraigned and held on $17,500 bond.
Some of the items were recovered following the arrest; however, the veteran’s war medals were not returned, said a family member.
‘The couple had a drug habit and that’s why they were breaking into homes,? said Pickell. ‘We are finding burglaries in the out county area like Atlas Township often occur during the daylight hours when residents are working. We remind residents to keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles in their community.?