A Durango woman with an apparent propensity for breaking and entering appears to have bad luck in choosing her victims.
Susan Margaret Murphy-Snively, 37, has been arrested twice in four months on suspicion of breaking into dwellings occupied by off-duty law enforcement officers.
Police have no reason to think she was targeting places occupied by law enforcement; rather, it is a strange coincidence, said Lt. Ray Shupe, spokesman with the Durango Police Department.
“She just really has some bad luck picking the places she wants to break into,” Shupe said.
Her most-recent break-in occurred about 4:45 p.m. Christmas Day at a residence connected to the Siesta Motel, where off-duty La Plata County Sheriff’s Deputy Chad Mercer caught her in the laundry room, according to police and an arrest affidavit.
Mercer’s connection with the motel was not immediately known Tuesday; his family may own or be connected to the motel, 3475 Main Ave., according to the Durango Police Department. The owners declined to comment, and efforts to reach Mercer were unsuccessful Tuesday night.
“I guess he confronted her, and she crawled back through the window and then ran out into the alley,” Shupe said.
Mercer, who was wearing civilian clothes, identified himself as a sheriff’s deputy and showed Murphy-Snively his badge. The woman appeared to be under the influence of an unknown narcotic, Shupe said. She began screaming, “Where are my kids,” and asked the deputy to, “Please let me go,” according to the affidavit.
Deputy Mercer said, “I can’t do that, I’m a cop,” and she said, “I know you’re a cop,” the affidavit says.
Murphy-Snively then took off her shoes and ran across Main Avenue, almost being struck by a car, the affidavit says.
Mercer crossed the street and detained Murphy-Snively until Durango police arrived. After being handcuffed, she yelled, “You’re killing me! Where are my kids, they are burning,” the affidavit says.
While being placed under arrest, she is suspected of scratching an officer’s right hand. She refused to get into the patrol car and was uncooperative when walking into Mercy Regional Medical Center, where she was taken for an evaluation.
She eventually was booked on suspicion of felony trespass, criminal mischief and obstructing a police officer.
It is not the first time Murphy-Snively ran into an off-duty law enforcement officer while allegedly committing a crime.
Durango police Sgt. Mike Slack called 911 about 6:45 p.m. Aug. 29 to report finding a woman looking around in his garage in the Three Springs subdivision. Just like the most recent case, Slack identified himself as a police officer and showed Murphy-Snively his badge, according to an arrest affidavit in that case. And just like the most recent case, Murphy-Snively made a run for it, and the officer gave chase.
Murphy-Snively ran to a neighbor’s house and pounded on the door. An elderly woman answered the door, and Murphy-Snively pushed past her, ran through the house, out the back door and into the east parking lot of Mercy Regional Medical Center, according to the affidavit.
Slack chased her through the house to the hospital, where Murphy-Snively fell to the ground and was arrested after a brief scuffle.
She was charged with felony trespass, misdemeanor trespass and resisting arrest.
Murphy-Snively was being held Tuesday at the La Plata County Jail on $9,000 bail.
shane@durangoherald.com
