A Toledoan convicted of breaking into and ransacking several homes last April was sentenced Monday to 26 years in prison.
Jason Cantrill, 36, of the 200 block of Field Avenue also was ordered by Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Ian English to pay restitution totaling $18,762 to the victims. Cantrill was found guilty by a jury Feb. 14 of three counts of burglary and one count each of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, and breaking and entering.
Cantrill’s attorney, John Thebes, told the court Cantrill, who identifies as female, was motivated by drug addiction and said gender confusion also had influenced his client’s conduct.
Judge English heard from two of the victims before imposing the lengthy prison term. He said the photos taken of the victims' homes after the break-ins were as disturbing as any crime or fire scene photos.
“While I've seen images of death, I now see what it's like when someone suffers complete and total devastation and destruction of their lives,” the judge said.
Items with sentimental — rather than financial — value were stolen or destroyed. Even cremains were spilled onto the floor.
He said he was amazed to learn Cantrill and co-defendants Robert Coulter and Salena Munoz pawned the items they stole and bought a car and a handgun.
“Why would three people all addicted to drugs of abuse take $2,000 — $1,900 of it — to buy a vehicle and a handgun? That question lingered until Salena Munoz testified and said that in essence these were the tools they were going to use to sustain their addiction,” the judge said. “This isn't drug confusion. This wasn't a lack of knowledge. This wasn't gender confusion. This was an intentional criminal enterprise.”
Coulter previously pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, while Munoz pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary.
First Published March 5, 2018, 9:53 p.m.
