Michigan Woman Pleads Guilty To Trashing Sister's House To Force Boyfriend Break Up

By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor
Think you have family drama? Consider this Thanksgiving table: A woman faces sentencing in a small Michigan town for allegedly breaking into her sister's home and basically destroying it in the hopes her sister would suspect her boyfriend and break up with him.

Rachel Partington, 27, pleaded guilty to second degree home invasion this week as part of a plea bargain. It's a five-year felony for which she faces sentencing January 9.

The incident happened three days after a situation in August that led to the arrest of Regina Partington's boyfriend on a domestic violence charge. Police said her sister Rachel Partington and her roommate Shasta Minikey, 22, busted a basement window in Regina's Partington's house in New Haven Township, Mich.

Once inside, they poured soap on the sofa, bleach on the floors, pulled out drawers, and stole numerous items including TVs, DVDs, an X Box, and a computer, police said.

"They just basically trashed the place," said Gratiot County Prosecutor Keith Kushion.

But one thing really stood out to Regina Partington when she discovered the crime, Kushion said -- family photos were missing.

"The victim said there was a basket with pictures of deceased family members and her sister had asked her about those a couple of weeks prior," Kushion said. "Those were of no interest to anybody, but they were taken."

After filing a police report, Regina Partington went to her sister's apartment, where she saw the stolen items.

"She called police to the scene, they talked with Rachel and she admitted it," Kushion said. "She said she wasn't going to keep them, she was only doing it so her sister wouldn't go back with the boyfriend. She wanted her to think it was him."

Did Regina Partington want to let her sister off the hook? No, Kushion said.

"She was upset, she said her sister had stolen things in the past. She wanted to prosecute," the prosecutor said.