Opinion ID: 2232889
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence for Burglary

Text: Appellant argues that there was insufficient evidence to sustain his conviction for burglary because the State failed to establish that he broke and entered the victim's residence with intent to commit a felony in it. The State points to the fact that Richards touched the victim while she was sleeping in her bed, removed her to a remote location, and raped her. The State argues that the jury could have reasonably concluded that the appellant intended to rape her inside the dwelling but changed his mind when she awoke and cried for help. In reviewing a sufficiency of the evidence charge, we do not reweigh the evidence nor resolve issues of credibility. We will affirm the conviction if, after considering the probative evidence and reasonable inferences therefrom, a trier of fact could conclude that the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Eveler v. State, 524 N.E.2d 9, 11 (Ind.1988). The conviction of burglary requires proof that the defendant broke and entered a building with intent to commit a felony in it. [8] This element may not be established by proof of the breaking and entering by itself. Timmons v. State, 500 N.E.2d 1212, (Ind.1986); Aikins v. State, 443 N.E.2d 820 (Ind.1983). The State must prove intent to commit a specific felony. The information filed against Richards alleged that he intended to commit the felony of rape. Thus, the State had to prove that when Richards entered the building he had the intent to commit rape inside N.H.'s residence [9] which may be inferred from the subsequent conduct of the defendant inside the premises. Eveler, 524 N.E.2d at 11; James v. State, 472 N.E.2d 195, 197 (Ind.1985). We have encountered cases where intent to commit rape was inferred from subsequent acts inside the dwelling. In Henley v. State, 519 N.E.2d 525 (Ind.1988), we held that there was sufficient evidence from which a jury could conclude that the defendant intended to commit rape when he entered the dwelling, where the defendant knocked the victim to the floor and started undressing her. Id. at 527. In James v. State, 472 N.E.2d 195 (Ind.1985), the defendant broke into the victim's house, shoved her onto the bed, forced her to place her arms around his, and told her repeatedly that he just wanted to love her. We held that the evidence was sufficient for a reasonable jury to conclude that the defendant intended to commit rape. Id. at 197. In Mason v. State, 467 N.E.2d 737 (Ind.1984), the defendant was lying on his victim, holding her face with one hand and fondling her breast with the other, when her husband came in and chased him away. We held that these facts were sufficient for a jury to conclude that the defendant intended to commit rape inside the dwelling. Id. at 740. By contrast, the perpetrator in this case barely entered the residence itself. There was no sexual contact at the residence, though there were serious physical acts against the victim (grabbing her leg and pulling her out of the window). The substantial and probative evidence tends to prove an abduction aimed at a sexual attack elsewhere. Accordingly, the State was entitled only to a conviction for the lesser included offense of residential entry. Ind.Code Ann. § 35-43-2-1.5 (West Supp.1996).