HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 28-year-old woman made a first appearance on four charges after an incident south of Hutchinson where a city vehicle was allegedly stolen.
Tawny Lochmann faces potential charges of felony theft, burglary, criminal trespass and criminal damage.
She was apparently driving in the 3900 block of South Halstead Wednesday night and somehow ended up in a field where her vehicle became stuck. She apparently couldn’t get any cell phone reception, so she began walking toward the city of Hutchinson sewage treatment plant. The gates to the facility were locked, but she managed to find a space where she could squeeze through. She walked building to building, but couldn’t find anyone. She was, however, able to get inside a garage and found a city truck with the keys left inside.
She drove the truck from the garage and rammed a gate, breaking the padlock and drove toward where her vehicle was. She apparently couldn’t figure out how to get it into four wheel drive and got the truck stuck as well.
At some point, the Sheriff’s Office was called and she was arrested and taken to the Reno County Correctional Facility.
In court, she asked for a bond reduction and that was granted by Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen. It went from $7,000 to $1,500.
She does have a drug conviction for having a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine and also being in possession of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine for a case from 2008. She is also required to register as a drug offender.
She’ll be back in court next week to hear any formal charges the state may file for this latest arrest.