Richland mom stole from elderly neighbor with kids in tow, police say

A 31-year-old mother twice claimed to have car troubles as an excuse to get inside a Richland home so she could to steal prescription drugs, car keys and money, say police.

Both times, Ashley M. Ferron had one of her young kids, ages 2 and 5, with her, according to court documents.

Now, the Richland woman is charged with three felonies involving the same elderly victim.

Prosecutors noted in documents that Ferron has three prior theft convictions, and two of those were committed while her children were present.

Ferron has pleaded innocent in Benton County Superior Court to residential burglary, second-degree theft and possession of fentanyl.

The burglary includes the aggravated circumstance that the victim was in the home at the same time.

Her trial is Nov. 9, though it likely will be moved because the court has not yet resumed trials during the coronavirus pandemic. She is out of custody after posting bond on $5,000.

Court documents show that on Aug. 21, Ferron knocked on the front door of a Haupt Avenue home and told a 79-year-old woman that her car had run out of gas.

The resident let Ferron and her young son in so they could make a call, and allowed them to use the bathroom while inside.

The resident later checked her bathroom and discovered a bottle with hydrocodone pills was missing.

Then, the following day about 5 p.m., Ferron returned to the house with a different young child in a stroller.

This time, she said her car had broken down and asked to use the phone before requesting a ride to a gas station. The victim drove her to a nearby station.

About 4 1/2 hours later, the victim heard a noise at her front door and saw it being closed. She looked outside and saw Ferron walking away from her front porch, court documents said.

The woman immediately noticed that keys to her minivan and keys to her daughter’s SUV were gone from their usual spot next to the front door, and a credit card, driver’s license and $40 in cash had been stolen.

She checked her bank account and found someone had tried to use the card less than an hour later, so she called Richland police, documents said.

About the same time, police dispatchers received a separate call from a Stevens Drive resident who reported a woman neighbor banging on his front door. The man said his neighbor had a stroller and her young children with her.

Detective Erik Lundquist recognized Ferron on the Stevens Drive home’s surveillance video. He then went to her home but no one answered the door.

The elderly burglary victim picked Ferron out of a photo lineup as the woman who had twice been to her house. She also looked at pictures from the other caller’s security footage and said she was “absolutely positive” the same child had been with Ferron during one of her alleged thefts.

On Aug. 23, dispatchers got a call about a woman pushing a baby stroller along George Washington Way, while yelling and screaming as she also carried a young child.

Police believed it was Ferron based on the description, but could not find her in the area. Several bystanders also reported seeing the woman running.

Fifteen minutes into the officers’ search, Lundquist saw the suspect’s husband and 5-year-old son walking nearby.

Lundquist told the husband that Ferron was wanted for a burglary while with the boy, who said he’d already told his dad about going to “the nice old lady’s house to use the phone,” court documents said.

The boy was taken into custody by Child Protective Services.

Police got word Ferron was at a nearby home with her 2-year-old son, and arrived to find her on the front porch. Ferron went inside and closed the door, but eventually came back out with her youngest child and was arrested, documents said.

The toddler also was placed with CPS.

A search of Ferron’s small diaper bag allegedly turned up a makeshift plastic pipe with fentanyl residue.

She admitted going to the elderly woman’s home several times, but denied stealing anything.