A former employee of Alaskan Camper LLC in Winlock is facing multiple burglary, theft and criminal impersonation charges for allegedly breaking into the business on July 31 after she was fired, emailing herself information from company computers, stealing items from the business, and then posting videos of the break-in to her social media accounts.
Kendra Hockman, 31, of Longview, allegedly walked into Alaskan Camper LLC’s shop, located in the 800 block of Northwest Kerron Avenue in Winlock, while an employee was locking up at about 5:30 p.m. on July 31. She allegedly claimed she was the CEO’s wife and accessed at least two different computers in the employee area of the business, deleting unread emails and sending emails containing “private client and company information,” according to charging documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court.
She is also accused of stealing a mailbox key and an employee’s credit card that were left inside the business. Hockman later allegedly used the card for a $17.10 purchase, plus a $20 tip, at a bar in Clark County.
Before leaving the business on July 31, Hockman allegedly “wrote ‘Kendra’ with a heart next to it” on a whiteboard inside the store.
Videos subsequently posted to Hockman’s Instagram reportedly show Hockman entering a trailer used for employee lodging and “stating she is looking for things to steal” before taking a set of keys and a birth certificate belonging to the trailer’s occupant.
The business’s CEO reported the incident and the theft to the Winlock Police Department on Aug. 1, according to court documents. The thefts were reported shortly after the initial call, at about 10:13 a.m., and the CEO reported finding the videos on Hockman’s Instagram account at approximately 11:48 a.m.
The CEO reportedly told investigators that “Ms. Hockman was a sales representative for a short time, but was fired a few months ago due to not performing and demonstrating strange behavior,” according to court documents.
Hockman was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 6:05 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, according to court documents.
She was charged Monday, Aug. 5, with one count each of second-degree burglary, second-degree theft, third-degree theft, first-degree criminal impersonation, residential burglary, second-degree identity theft and second-degree computer trespass.
Four of the six charges are felonies.
While Hockman’s bail was initially set at $100,000 over the weekend, a Lewis County Superior Court judge ruled to reduce that bail amount to $10,000 following a preliminary hearing on Monday.
If Hockman posts bail, there is a chance Hockman will be transferred to the Cowlitz County Jail due to an active warrant on an unrelated bomb threat case, according to Lawler.
Her arraignment on the Lewis County case is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 8.
