FAIRBANKS — In what could be a case of break-up ending in break-in, a Fairbanks woman and her boyfriend have been charged with burglarizing her ex-husband’s North Pole home.
Patrice Devore, 25, and Brandan Snyder-Nicholoff, 27, were arraigned Sunday on one count of felony burglary in the first degree and one count of felony theft in the second degree. Devore also was charged with one count of violating a protective order.
Alaska State Troopers were notified Thursday at 2:11 p.m. that several items were stolen from a home on Jackson Street in North Pole.
Troopers said the victim left his home about 7 a.m. Wednesday. He returned at noon to find his living room window’s screen lying on the floor and the front door’s deadbolt unlocked. The victim reported several items missing from his home, including a Hi-Point .45 caliber pistol, an Acer laptop with power cord, a PSP gaming device and bottles containing prescription medications.
He said the pistol was valued at $150, the laptop between $200 and $500.
The victim also found several letters that appeared to have been hand-written by his ex-wife, Devore. The notes were written in a combination of first and third person and mentioned Devore’s full name several times. The victim said the letters were not there when he left in the morning.
Troopers said the victim’s neighbor saw Devore and a man pull up to the home in a blue Subaru station wagon. The neighbor recognized Devore from attending school with her. The man was described as having brown hair, a long beard and a large-brimmed hat — a description the victim said matched Devore’s boyfriend, Snyder-Nicholoff.
The neighbor said she watched Devore enter the apartment through an unlocked living room window, while Snyder-Nicholoff talked to her from the car on his cell phone. According to the neighbor, Snyder-Nicholoff said he was nervous about the victim coming home and beating him up. Devore reportedly left the home through the front door, with a duffel bag and backpack.
When troopers found Devore and Snyder-Nicholoff at their Fairbanks home, they allegedly admitted to breaking into the residence and stealing the laptop, PSP and pistol. While searching the home, troopers found the laptop and PSP.
Devore then led troopers to a Yankovich Road address, where she had buried the gun. The gun was wrapped in a black and white shirt, troopers said.
Andrew Sheeler can be reached at 459-7520.
