BARTON — A seemingly simple task of retrieving a pillow and a sweatshirt turned into a home invasion leading to two arrests, according to court records released earlier this month.
Trooper Anthony Rice was dispatched to a home in Barton on May 9 following a report of a home invasion involving two women, one reportedly armed with a taser.
The occupant of the house, a man, claimed that his ex-girlfriend, Isabella Richland-Pizano, 20, of Barre, Vermont, and her companion, Rayleen Leone, 20, of Ashland, New Hampshire, forced their way into his home.
Richland-Pizano had previously been granted permission to retrieve a pillow and a sweatshirt she had left behind after their break-up. However, she was explicitly told not to enter the house.
Instead of waiting for the ex-boyfriend to bring her belongings to them, Richland-Pizano and Leone allegedly pushed their way into the house, according to Trooper Rice’s affidavit.
Once inside, Richland-Pizano reportedly assaulted her ex-boyfriend, while Leone brandished a taser at a second female resident of the house. The affidavit further states that Richland-Pizano encouraged Leone to use the taser, knowing that their intended victim had a heart condition that could potentially be fatal if she was shocked.
Both Richland-Pizano and Leone were arraigned in the Criminal Division of Orleans County Superior Court on May 16. Leone pled innocent to felony charges of unlawful trespass in an occupied dwelling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and criminal threatening.
Richland-Pizano also pled innocent to charges of unlawful trespass in an occupied residence, aiding in the commission of aggravated assault with a weapon, both felonies, as well as domestic assault.
Judge Lisa Warren subsequently released both women on conditions, the specifics of which were not immediately available.
