Two Hayward residents face more than 40 charges connected to series of burglaries

Two people from Hayward are facing a total of 44 charges of theft, burglary and damage to property in Bayfield County.

Authorities say Logan M. Melton, 22, and Melissa Thorp, 37, who live together, stole two cars, a boat, firearms, an ATV, bikes and other items as part of a string of burglaries between March and July 2023. Residences, garages and storage units in the Drummond and Cable area were targeted.

Melton and Thorp face 22 charges each: seven charges of burglary of a building or dwelling, nine charges of theft of movable property, four charges of criminal damage to property and two charges of driving or operating a vehicle without consent. Each charge has a party to a crime modifier.

According to the criminal complaint, a Bayfield County deputy received a call on April 23 reporting that his neighbor’s home in Drummond was possibly burglarized. The caller said a door had been kicked in at the home and a vintage stove valued at $1,500 had been removed. While waiting for law enforcement to arrive, the caller noticed a boat with a motor and trailer had been stolen from his property.

While investigating the scene, the deputy noticed two other homes had also been broken into.

On June 18, a deputy responded to a report of auto theft that happened sometime between March and the time of the call. The victim reported a 1995 Ford F150 valued at $4,000 was stolen from his yard in Cable. An ATV also belonging to the victim was stolen.

That same day, a Bayfield investigator received a report of a burglary from a property on Wisconsin Avenue in Drummond. The victim reported keys for a car, forklift, boat and several lawnmowers were stolen. Thorp later told authorities she and Melton planned on returning at a later date to use the keys to steal the vehicles, according to the criminal complaint.

Four days later, a deputy received a report of a burglary on Whispering Pine Road in Drummond. The victim reported she was missing an outboard motor valued at about $1,500, two bicycles valued at $800 and other various items.

A person staying at the property at the time reported seeing a U-Haul with no advertising on the property that Melton and Thorp were later arrested in.

The U-Haul report became important when, on June 24, a deputy responded to a report of theft on Kavanaugh Road in Cable. The caller reported two people in a U-Haul stopped at the location on June 18 and stole eight tires from his used tire stock.

Then, on July 20, another victim reported that a 1963 Ford Fairlane worth $4,200 was stolen from his property on Swift Road in Cable, along with three firearms worth a total of $2,125.

Authorities caught up with Melton and Thorp in Sawyer County while they were driving the stolen U-Haul that appeared to be spray-painted in an attempt to conceal the U-Haul branding.

Thorp is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on Aug. 30, while Melton is set for a jury trial starting on Aug. 20.

According to CCAP, Melton has been previously charged with possession of methamphetamine, bail jumping, resisting and obstructing an officer and retail theft.

Thorp is also facing charges of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of THC and bail jumping, according to CCAP.