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Woman breaks into apartment, tries to steal dog

A Morgantown woman was arrested after residents of Viewcrest Village came home to allegedly find her sitting on their couch.

Michelle L. Costello, 44, is charged with burglary by the Monongalia County Sheriffs Office.

The victims had been gone from their home for about an hour when they arrived to find their home forcefully broken into and a woman, later identified as Costello, sitting on their couch, according to a criminal complaint.

When the two residents confronted Costello, she tried to hit one of them, the complaint said.

The two then tried to remove Costello physically from the home, prompting her to try and steal their dog. Both victims said Costello told them the dog belonged to her and she was taking it with her before eventually being removed from the house, the complaint said.

After she was out of the house, she went across the street and sat on a rock where a deputy found her when he arrived, about 3 p.m. on Thursday, the complaint said.

Costello would only tell the deputy that the dog was hungry and she needed to feed it, the complaint said.

The home had obvious damage to the door jam and the security chain on the front door was broken, according to the complaint. The victims also said a 43′ television in their bedroom was destroyed.

Several kids playing in the area said they saw the two victims physically removing Costello, the complaint said.

Costello is being held in North Central Regional Jail on $25,000 bond.

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