Lucerne Valley Girls Return Home From School to Find a Woman in their Home

LUCERNE VALLEY, Calif. – Two girls, ages 16 and 9-years-old returned home from school on Wednesday to find an unknown female inside their home.

At around 2:43 p.m., Victor Valley Station deputies were dispatched to the home in the 10800 block of Palomar Avenue in Lucerne Valley. When they arrived they learned that the suspect, Michele Dawn Degarmo, 45, of Apple Valley, entered the home through an open window. She grabbed some items inside the home. When the girls arrived home, she fled the area with items that she stole from the home. Neither of the girls was injured as a result of the burglary.

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Deputies were able to follow footprints outside of the home to a dirt field across from the victim’s home. “While deputies searched for Degarmo, a 911 call came into dispatch that an unknown female was at a residence claiming people were trying to attack her,” said Victor Valley Sheriff’s Spokeswoman Staci Parks. “The 911 call was approximately 1 ½ miles from the burglary so deputies went to the location.” When deputies went to the location, the female suspect was gone. Degarmo was later located hiding in the area behind a bush,

Michelle Degarmo was arrested and booked at the High Desert Detention Center. She is currently being held in lieu of $75,000.00 bail.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is urged to contact Deputy Gates at Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station, (760) 552-6800. Persons wishing to remain anonymous can report information to WeTip by calling 1-800-78-CRIME, or by accessing the website at www.wetip.com.