Man convicted of gross misdemeanor after burglary incident
Published 10:12 am Tuesday, May 3, 2016
A man who broke into a woman’s home, assaulted her and then stole her van was convicted of a gross misdemeanor domestic assault on Monday.
Deven Ellsworth Walker, 29, of Austin had faced five other charges, including three felonies of first-degree burglary assaulting a person in a building and in an occupied dwelling and theft; gross misdemeanor driving after cancellation-inimical to public safety and misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal damage to property.
Those other five charges were dismissed after a plea agreement was reached. Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7.
At about 3:10 a.m. on March 13, a woman reported Walker had “kicked in” her door, assaulted her and then stole her 2000 Dodge Caravan. She also told police he had been drinking and did not have a valid driver’s license, according to the police report.
The woman told officers the two knew each other and had been drinking that night before a disagreement.
Sometime later, she was awakened by a hit to the left side of her face, and Walker allegedly yelled at her. The back door was also damaged beyond repair and there was a muddy shoe print near the outside door knob, the report said.
Walker almost damaged her new television but instead smashed a ceramic plant stand when a neighbor walked in because of the commotion.
He allegedly found the keys to her van, told her, “I can do whatever I want,” and then drove off.
Later that morning, officers drove by a home on the 800 block of Third Avenue Northwest and saw the van.
Police found Walker in a back bedroom after being let in by the homeowner. Walker was arrested without incident and his shoes matched the print on the door.