While investigating bicycle theft deputies discover children left home alone

While investigating the theft of a bicycle from a Mattoxtown Road property Tuesday, deputies found that a local woman had left her two children at home alone while she drove to Columbia.

According to reports filed through the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, deputies were dispatched to investigate the theft of the bicycle at around 4:00 p.m. The property owner and current tenant reported that a man and woman had come to the property the previous Saturday and took a purple and white, eighteen-speed women's bicycle from the shed. The woman was identified as thirty-one year old Crystal Denise Dickey of 106 Bluff Drive, who was the ex-girlfriend of the former tenant. Dickey was reportedly the one who took the bike.

Deputies report that when they made their way to Dickey's apartment to speak with her about the theft, a ten year old child answered the door. A second ten year old was also inside the apartment. The boy told deputies that his mother had "gone to the store." The girl said that she had "carried a friend to work." Deputies noted that they checked the apartment and that the children were completely alone.

At the deputies' request, the children's grandmother came to the apartment to take custody. During that time Dickey called her mother to say that she "was in Columbia and would be on her way as soon as she could."

While waiting for Dickey's arrival, deputies report that they retrieved the stolen bicycle from inside the apartment, issued a property receipt, and returned it to the owners. After a time they left, advising Dickey's mother to bring her to the sheriff's department as soon as she returned "to get the situation resolved."

Dickey later came to the department where she was placed under arrest for the theft of the bicycle. She told deputies that her ex-boyfriend had told her she could get the bike.

Deputies contacted the Department of Children's Services to request an investigation due to the children being left alone.