By Kelton Brooks
The Hutchinson News
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Crime paid a lot for $3 worth of bread.
How about $26,683 worth?
Todd Herrin, 55, who is listed as homeless, has been in custody for 17 months, transported back and forth from the Reno County Jail and the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility since his arrest in February. He was transported to Larned 10 times, with his most recent appearance in relation to the bread theft in March.
Herrin is scheduled to stand trial Sept. 29 on a charge of aggravated burglary for stealing a loaf of bread, a bag of candy, several other food items and a radio. He was arrested in February 2014 when he walked into the side door of H&R Block, 29 W. Second Ave., went into the break room, and stole the items.
It cost $35 per day to house an inmate at the Reno County Jail and $83.01 per day to house an inmate at the Larned Mental Health Facility.
Herrin’s attorney, public defender Bonnie Corrado, said both times Herrin has gone to Larned in the bread theft case he was there for at least three months. Corrado also said she hasn’t seen improvement in Herrin since his latest release in March. The defense is seeking its own mental evaluation on Herrin after prosecution previously received results from Larned on Herrin.
Throughout his time in the jail and Larned, it has cost taxpayers $26,683. The hefty fee doesn’t include attorney fees, transportation back and forth from Larned or medication.
Mary Starks, co-owner of H&R Block, said she did not want him arrested, she wanted a restraining order.
“He had a crush on one of the employees and I thought he was threatening,” Starks said. “I got concerned when he kept waiting around for her. The police told me as long as he keep taking his meds, he’s not any danger.
“We had no intentions to have him arrested. It was totally taken out of our hands the time we called police. They made a big deal out of it. I don’t know what we could’ve done differently – 17 months for stealing a loaf of bread is horrible.”
Starks said they wanted to keep him out the building because of his liking to the employee, and because of the type of business that is conducted in H&R Block. She said she wasn’t concerned about the food items, stating they would’ve happily given it to Herrin.
“I was just a little concerned with the attention he was showing her, I didn’t trust him,” Starks said.