SKOWHEGAN — A local woman who was sent to jail last year for prying open a family member’s safe with a crowbar, stealing $22,000 in cash and buying a one-way ticket to Chicago, is back in jail after allegedly testing positive for methamphetamine and cocaine and being in possession of hypodermic needles.

Police said Jaclyn Suezanne Rutherford, 29, of Waterville Road, Skowhegan, also is thought to have recently stolen money from a family member to buy the drugs, a report that prompted the initial visit last Wednesday by police and probation officials.

Rutherford is being held without bail at the Somerset County Jail in East Madison on a probation violation, pending her next court appearance this week.

Skowhegan Police Chief David Bucknam said police officer Tifani Warren assisted a probation officer with a check on Rutherford at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Rutherford’s home.

During the check, authorities reportedly found more than 50 hypodermic needles, assorted drug paraphernalia and a drug test indicated Rutherford had methamphetamine and cocaine in her system, Bucknam said.

“During the drug test, Jaclyn attempted to deceive Officer Warren by urinating in the toilet then filling the test kit with toilet water,” he said.

Warren summonsed Rutherford on charges of falsifying physical evidence and illegal possession of hypodermic needles.

Bucknam said it appears that probation officials received a complaint accusing Rutherford of stealing about $87 from a family member and using the stolen money to buy meth.

A call to the county jail Monday confirmed that Rutherford was being held without bail. It was unclear if she has a lawyer.

Skowhegan police said in Nov. 2016 that Rutherford had stolen the $22,000 in cash from the family safe, which was in a closet, and that the crowbar used to pry the safe open was found in Rutherford’s bedroom at the home.

When Rutherford was arrested, she was carrying about $17,000 in cash and had a one-way train ticket to Chicago.

“Jaclyn admitted to stealing the money and had plans to permanently leave Maine to live in a warmer climate,” then-Police Chief Donald Bolduc said at the time.

Rutherford was sentenced in Jan. 2017 to serve six months in jail to be followed by three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,200, according to court documents. The full sentence handed down in court was for three years in prison with all but the six months suspended.

The stolen money had been kept in packets of $1,000 and $2,000 in Bangor Savings Bank envelopes.

She also was charged Oct. 7, 2016 in Skowhegan with assault, violating conditions of release and with obstructing the report of a crime for attacking another member of her family, though not the later victims of the theft.

Rutherford used physical force to prevent the victim of the assault from calling police, court documents said. As she was taken away in handcuffs by police, she allegedly screamed obscenities at the female family member, according to court documents.

“I’m going to kill her,” she allegedly yelled at police. “You can’t keep me forever, and when I get out I’m going for her. You can’t stop me.”

Rutherford pleaded guilty to charges related to that incident — assault, violating the conditions of release and obstructing the report of a crime. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail for those crimes to be served at the same time as the sentence for theft.

Of the stolen $22,000, Rutherford was found in possession of $16,800, which was returned to the victims.

She allegedly told police she had given $5,200 to a friend for picking her up the night of the theft and to help the friend pay rent, according to court documents. She was ordered to reimburse that money within 35 months of her release from jail.

Court documents show Rutherford had no income when she was arrested. Documents say she can not work because of injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident in Feb. 2016 in Oakland.

Rutherford was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor after the accident for treatment of severe head trauma, Sgt. Peter Tibbetts, of the Oakland Police Department, said at the time.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

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