PROVO, Utah, Feb. 8, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah County woman is behind bars after police say she robbed an employee at a Payson assisted living center that had fired her weeks earlier.
Becky Jean Gavin Golly, 44, has been charged with:
- Aggravated robbery — use or threatened use of weapon, a first-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon, a third-degree felony
- Forgery, a third-degree felony
- Making a financial transaction with intent to defraud, a third-degree felony
According to a probable cause statement, Utah County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Elk Ridge Assisted Living Center on Wednesday after an employee called 911 at 3:21 a.m. saying a woman dressed in black had just robbed them at gunpoint, then fled.
The caller said someone had been trying to get in a door on the west side of the building, which did not seem unusual because elderly clients tend to wander at night. Two female employees walked toward the door to open it, and the first was confronted by the suspect, who shoved a gun in her face.
The second worker ducked into a client’s room to call police.
The suspect forced the first worker into the front office and demanded she open the box used to store medication for patients at the facility, the statement says. The suspect also brought a can of shaving cream, and told the worker to spray it over cameras to obscure what was going on.
The worker sprayed the cameras, but refused to open the medications box, the probable cause statement says. The suspect then got frustrated and grabbed two backpacks belonging to the worker, and she fled the scene out the side door where she first entered, the statement says.
The workers locked doors until deputies responded. They described the suspect as being tall with a thin build, and wearing all-black clothing, including a leather coat, hoodie and gloves, and her face was covered by a scarf or bandanna.
The victims stated the suspect had a taser and a handgun, and displayed both in an attempt to scare the employee. Surveillance recordings backed up the workers’ story, and allowed the facility’s owner to note that the suspect’s build and mannerisms were similar to those of Golly, who was terminated about six weeks earlier for poor performance, the statement says.
Charges made on the stolen credit card and a check that had been taken led investigators to an account held by Becky Gavin, which is Golly’s birth name. The charges were for $1,250, $550 and $1,200.
Officers checked various addresses trying to find Golly, and finally located her at a rental home in Provo. According to the statement, Golly was arrested without incident, and confessed her involvement.
A search warrant for Golly’s residence turned up the victim’s belongings. Golly told officers that a pellet gun, Taser and clothing items could be found in the car she used the night of the robbery, which was in her daughter’s care.
Officers found the shaving cream in the bathroom of Golly’s residence.
Also found in the search were drugs and drug paraphernalia. Drug charges may be added at a later date, according to the arresting officer’s statement. In addition, Golly is barred from having dangerous weapons due to her status as a convicted felon.
Golly’s cash-only bail was set at $50,000.
