Tattoo parlor vandal arrested

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February 16, 2008

By Anita Burke

Mail Tribune

A Medford woman landed in jail after police say she spent the night in a downtown tattoo parlor, trashing the business and apparently flushing money down the toilet, then fought with officers who tried to arrest her.

Mary Lynn Amo, 53, who has no permanent address, remained lodged Friday in the Jackson County Jail on charges of second-degree burglary, first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief and resisting arrest. Bail is set at $55,000.

At about 10:15 a.m. Thursday, a caller notified police about a confused woman behaving oddly inside Phat Kat Tattoo and Piercing, although the business at 44 S. Central Ave., Medford, was closed. Police couldn't get into the locked business and the woman refused to come out or let them in, Medford police Lt. Tim Doney said.

Police dispatchers called the business owner, who came to let in the officers. Inside they found a toilet clogged with business paperwork, ceiling tiles and drywall damaged, and a cash drawer that had about $5,000 worth of cash and checks in it emptied. When officers tried to take Amo into custody, she resisted and had to be restrained, Doney said.

"They tackled her on our couch," said Whitney Kammers, who works at the front counter at Phat Kat. "She said 'I'm God' and 'Take me to an insane asylum'."

Kammers said that Amo, who appeared to be homeless, had asked to use the restroom at Phat Kat Wednesday at about 7:30 p.m. They let her and then she left, but loitered around outside. The shop is open from noon to 8 p.m., but employees often work into the night to complete a tattoo, as they did Wednesday, Kammers said.

She said she locked the front door, but left the back door unlocked until everyone left at about 11 p.m., when all doors were locked. Police suspect that while the tattoo artist worked, Amo sneaked back in and hid in the bathroom. Overnight, she took keys to the cash drawer and stole cash, checks and other papers. She climbed into the shop's attic, scarring the walls and stepping through ceiling tiles as she clambered about, Kammers said.

Police found that Amo had nearly $400, but the rest of the money and paperwork was gone, either hidden inside the shop or flushed away, Doney said.

"She played the 'I'm crazy' card," said Kammers, who said Amo, wriggling in her handcuffs, shouted that Kevin Costner had told her to steal the money.

Kammers said a plumber had to unclog the toilet and employees had to clean and sanitize the entire shop, which was closed for four hours Thursday while they cleaned. She said the business will have to absorb some loss from the missing checks and will call customers to try to recreate other documents that disappeared in the incident.

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