Whitney Anne Arnold, 39, of Mechanicsville, Amanda Lynn Cantrell, 41, of Lexington Park, and James Richard Arnold, 63, with no listed address
Three individuals are facing misdemeanor burglary charges after deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office discovered them allegedly living without permission in a vacant home in California, Maryland.
- Whitney Anne Arnold, 39, of Mechanicsville
- Amanda Lynn Cantrell, 41, of Lexington Park
- James Richard Arnold, 63, with no listed address
Were all each arrested on August 8, 2025, and charged with fourth-degree burglary under Maryland Criminal Code §6-205(a), a misdemeanor offense.
According to court records, Deputy Joseph Senatore traveled to 23458 Dahlia Circle on August 7, 2025, in an attempt to serve a bench warrant. It was alleged that Whitney Arnold was residing at the location and had an active warrant for failure to appear in court related to multiple burglary charges.
Officers knocked on the door multiple times, but the occupants refused to exit. After about 40 minutes, Whitney Arnold emerged from the residence and was placed under arrest.
Before her exit, deputies contacted the owner of the property, who confirmed the home had been vacant for approximately four months and stated that no one had permission to be inside. The homeowner later arrived on scene and reiterated that no individuals were authorized to reside there.
The homeowner informed law enforcement that Cantrell did not have verbal or written permission to be in the residence and stated that she did not know who Cantrell was.
A walkthrough of the property revealed that Cantrell had been sleeping on an air mattress in the master bedroom. Officers observed that there was no furniture or household items suggesting regular habitation. The residence also did not have running water.
Cantrell told officers that she had been staying in the residence for approximately one day and acknowledged that she did not have permission from the homeowner.
During a security sweep of the residence, deputies encountered James Arnold. He was detained and removed from the home. The homeowner later advised that Arnold did not have permission to be in the home, although she recognized him as someone working for a contractor she had hired. However, she stated that he should not have been staying there.
Deputies reported that James Arnold had been sleeping on an air mattress in a third-story bedroom. Like the others, he had no furniture or basic utilities available in the space, and he shared the home with the other two suspects.
James Arnold told officers he had been living at the residence for approximately one month, and while he admitted to knowing the property owner, he confirmed that he did not have permission to be there.
Each of the three suspects had their identity verified through the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, and all events were confirmed to have occurred in St. Mary’s County.
All three defendants were released on their own recognizance. They are scheduled to appear in St. Mary’s District Court on October 9, 2025, for this case.
Whitney Anne Arnold, 39, of Mechanicsville, Amanda Lynn Cantrell, 41, of Lexington Park, and James Richard Arnold, 63, with no listed address
