A woman in Ohio was charged with theft after stealing from a baby's gravesite in Mansfield Memorial Park, USA TODAY reported.
Frieda Kay Shade, 54, turned herself in on Wednesday, according to Detective Jon Sigler. Shade allegedly told police that she took a toy from the grave of Hayden "Tank" Cole Sheridan -- who died in 2007 -- because a dog was on the loose and didn't want it to damage the toy.
Shade's lawyer, Charles Robinson, and Sigler said Shade will plead guilty to one count of theft, a first-degree misdemeanor. A court date is set for May 8 in Ontario.
Before Shade turned herself in, several people identified her to authorities after surveillance footage of the theft was spread on social media, Sigler said.
"The video is there, we're not denying that. But video evidence does not show what a person is thinking. There are mitigating circumstances," Robinson said.
"We all have sympathy for a child who has expired. We know how hard that is, and we sympathize with that."
Records from Mansfield Municipal Court show this is not Shade's first run-in with the law. She has a history of passing bad checks, unauthorized use of property, evictions, and so on. Additionally, she has two open cases in Richland County Common Pleas Court Ohio for state taxes.
"I have no idea yet how I feel about (the arrest). I'm kind of in shock and have had no chance to think about it," Scott Sheridan, father of Hayden, told The Mansfield News Journal.
Sheridan said he and his wife believe other items at their son's grave have been stolen in the past, prompting police officers to set up a surveillance camera.
"We recognized its utility long ago and use it whenever possible. It has motion detection, night vision. It really serves a purpose," Sigler said.
