By Vicky Wedig
Staff Writer
An initial appearance was scheduled for April 20 for an Allens Grove woman charged with robbing Luke’s Restaurant in Elkhorn to pay her drug dealer.
Amanda M. Rodden Clawson, 24, was charged April 13 in Walworth County Circuit Court with burglary of a building or dwelling and two counts of felony bail jumping.
According to the criminal complaint, the owners of Luke’s Restaurant on Market Street reported a window near the drive-through shattered and moneybags that contained $1,320 missing on April 8. The owners said Rachel Clawson, Rodden Clawson’s sister, closed the restaurant the night before.
The owners reviewed their security video, which showed Rodden Clawson helping her sister close the restaurant the night before and showed Rodden Clawson coming in the building through the broken window at 2:12 a.m., according to the complaint.
Owner Holly Grundel said she met with Rachel and Amanda Rodden Clawson April 10 at the Speedway, and Amanda Rodden Clawson gave Grendel the empty bank bags and said she had to give the money to someone, according to the complaint.
Police found Rodden Clawson on April 10 at the apartment of her mother, Marsha Rodden, with whom Rodden Clawson was to have no contact under bond conditions.
Rodden Clawson told police she needed the money to pay her drug dealer, who was threatening her and her family, according to the complaint.
Rodden Clawson was out on bond at the time on seven counts each of identity theft and uttering a forgery. Those charges stem from allegedly stealing and cashing Marsha Rodden’s checks.
