By Times Staff Writer
Published September 16, 2004
HUDSON - A 34-year-old man is accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of property from his parents in order to pawn it for drug money, and his 33-year-old girlfriend is accused of helping him pawn the items.
Pasco sheriff's deputies arrested the pair Tuesday.
Sheriff's officials say Ronald Shawn Berthiaume and Juliane Mary Robert pawned multiple items stolen during the course of the summer from Berthiaume's parents' home on Kitten Trail. The parents spend their summers in Massachusetts.
The stolen items included a television, DVD player, pressure washer, air compressor, generator, drill, chain saw, circular saw, fishing rods and tackle boxes.
The couple, who were living out of their car and staying with friends, pawned the items at numerous area pawnshops, sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said. They also pawned items stolen from other locations, he said.
"Berthiaume told detectives that anybody they stayed with they stole something from during the last two months," Tobin said.
They were caught after a neighbor noticed something wrong and called Berthiaume's parents, who flew to Florida and then called the Sheriff's Office.
Berthiaume was being held Wednesday in the county jail in lieu of $180,000 bail. He faces a charge of grand theft and multiple charges of violating the Florida pawnbrokers' act and dealing in stolen property. Robert was released from the county jail Wednesday morning on her own recognizance. She faces charges of violating the Florida pawnbrokers' act and dealing in stolen property.
Their 19-month-old daughter, who was living with them, was placed with a relative, Tobin said.
"There were some health issues with the child," Tobin said, "obviously staying in a car and living from place to place."
