Two Oregon women are charged with stealing a car and jewelry from Mouseketeer Dennis Day, 76, who was found dead at his home months after he went missing
- Wanda Garcia and Lori Declusin each face a count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle
- They were arrested for allegedly stealing a 1990s Ford Escort that belonged to former Mouseketeer Dennis Day
- Day, 76, was reported missing in July 2018 by his husband, Ernest Caswell, the day after his car was found near the Oregon coast
- His disappearance went unreported for months because Caswell had been suffering from memory loss
- Day was one of the original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers cast in 1955
Two southern Oregon women face felony charges in the theft of a car and jewelry that belonged to a former child actor who was found dead in April after his disappearance went unreported for months because his husband had dementia.
Wanda Garcia and Lori Declusin each face a count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, the Mail Tribune reports.
They are accused of taking a 1990s Ford Escort station wagon that belonged to Dennis Day.
Day was a founding member of the Mickey Mouse Club for two seasons in the 1950s.
He was found dead at his Phoenix, Oregon, home following a months-long missing person investigation.
Wanda Garcia (left) and Lori Declusin (right) face felony charges in the theft of a car and jewelry that belonged to a former child actor found dead in April
Former Mouseketeer Dennis Day, 76 (left), was reported missing in July 2018 by his husband Ernest Caswell (right). Day’s family only discovered he had vanished in January 2019. Earlier this month, coroners confirmed it was his body that was found at a home in Phoenix, Oregon in April
Day, an actor, was cast as an original Disney Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer in 1955
The Jackson County District Attorney’s office says Garcia faces an additional theft charge accusing her of stealing and selling a brooch last July that belonged to Day — less than a week after he was last seen alive.
Both women have been arrested. It wasn’t known if they have lawyers.
Earlier this month, police confirmed that Day’s body was found in April at a home in Phoenix, Oregon.
The body was found at the home on 510 Pine Street in Phoenix, Oregon (above) in April
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s office identified the body, although they were unable to use dental records or DNA because of the condition of the remains, Oregon State Police said Thursday.
Police are still investigating Day’s death.
Day was last seen walking down his driveway on foot, saying he was going to visit friends
He was reported missing in July by his husband, Ernie Caswell, who suffers from memory loss and was in the hospital when he made the report.
Day’s car on July 26 was found at the Oregon coast.
A missing person report said Day had ‘uncharacteristically’ left his dog with a friend on the day he disappeared.
In February, members of Day’s family spoke with television news show Dateline, saying the investigation into Day’s disappearance had been poorly handled.
Friends and relatives had set up the Help Us Find Dennis Day Facebook page.
In a post from earlier this month, Day’s niece Janel Showers of Clovis, California, thanked the Facebook group for their ‘love and support’ as well as Oregon police investigators for their efforts.
Day (left) and Caswell (right) have been partners for 46 years. Caswell suffers from dementia and was unable to give police Day’s family’s contact info at the time he went missing
‘Our family is truly thankful to the Oregon State Police for helping to bring closure to our family so that we can finally lay Dennis to rest,’ Showers said.
Day was born in 1942. After moving to California, he began performing at age 6. When he was 10, he was among the first group of children hired for the Disney show.
Day and Caswell moved to Oregon in the 1980s.