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Woman found in dramatic rescue charged with 96 felonies

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A woman who was missing for four days last summer, only to be dramatically rescued by the Coast Guard, has now been charged with 96 felonies in Polk County Circuit Court. 

Heather Mounce is facing 62 counts of felony identity theft and 24 counts of felony criminal mistreatment in the first degree, among other charges filed last week. The charges include the theft of tens of thousands of dollars from Dallas Retirement Village in Dallas, Ore. Mounce is also charged with stealing the identity and more than $5,000 from a man in his 90s.

A spokeswoman for the Dallas Retirement Village released a statement on the investigation: 

“We are working closely with the state and Polk County Attorney’s Office in their investigation of this individual and former employee. The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority and we have comprehensive policies and procedures in place to protect them. We can assure that she had no access to any personal resident records.”

Mounce’s family reported her missing in August 2017, and her car was found parked next to Highway 101, north of Florence. Four days later, her husband at the time, Denton Davison, located her on a cliff near the Sea Lion Caves. 

“The woman was clinging onto some bushes on the cliff,” Coast Guard Lt. Alex Webber said at the time. Webber was the pilot for the Coast Guard aircrew that rescued Mounce.

Police at the time said it did not appear that Mounce had been abducted, and evidence suggested she had traveled from her car on her own free will.  

Court records show Davison filed for divorce three months later, in November 2017, citing irreconcilable differences.  

Mounce’s attorney, Jeffrey Jones, told WISH-TV’s sister station KOIN on Wednesday that he’s “in the dark” on the charges. 

“There are allegations, and a lot of them,” he said. 

Jones said, consistent with Polk County practices, he and his client would be entering a not guilty plea at the first court appearance in August. Jones said he did not know Mounce and was contacted after she had been charged.