OAKLAND (AP) — A Benton man has pleaded guilty to breaking into an elderly couple’s Oakland home while they were sleeping and stealing Christmas gifts intended for family.

Prosecutors said 26-year-old Brandon Rimes is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 26 in connection with the Dec. 6 break in at the home of 88-year-old Charlotte Lovejoy and her husband, 89-year-old Del Lovejoy.

Authorities said Rimes and another man who has already been sentenced to three years behind bars, stole about $1,000 worth of items, including Christmas gifts. Police called it a “particularly distasteful” crime.

District Attorney Maeghan Maloney told the Morning Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1bCDxxO ) that given the nature of the crime, she hopes for a severe sentence for Rimes.

Charlotte Lovejoy said she’s still “scared to death” and has difficulty sleeping.

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