A Bradenton woman arrested for an alleged Bradenton Beach home invasion appeared May 13 in district court, where her case is next set to be heard July 15.
Ashley Jodat, 34, was arrested in April for burglary to an occupied dwelling, a second-degree felony, and also possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Jodat pleaded not guilty April 7 and on April 13 the burglary charge was dropped when the alleged victims told court officials they would not return from their home in Minnesota to participate in the process.
Held at Manatee County jail in lieu of $7,500 bond since her arrest, Jodat was released to the Manatee County Pretrial Services Program May 4 by 12th Circuit Court Judge Frederick P. Mercurio. If convicted, Jodat could face up to five years for the felony drug charge and up to one year in jail or one-year probation and a $1,000 fine for the misdemeanor paraphernalia charge.
A vacationing Minnesota man told police he awoke at about 3:30 a.m. April 1 to find a woman locked in the bathroom of his Bradenton Beach apartment.
According to his statement to the police, he got the woman out of the bathroom and brought her outdoors, where he called the police.
A search by police of Jodat’s pockets and a bag she was carrying yielded several items stolen from the apartment, including about $350 cash.
Police also found a glass pipe and a baggie with a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.