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A Routt County judge refused to set bail lower than $5,000 for a woman charged with stealing more than $7,000 from Go-Fer Foods.

Denise Deann Humphrey, a 38-year-old Steamboat woman, appeared in court Wednesday asking for a personal recognizance bond.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Humphrey, but Public Defender Gail Morrison asked that her client have more time to review a plea offer from the District Attorney's Office. Deputy District Attorney Eric Knauss said another charge likely was to follow. Morrison asked for more time to see if that charge could be incorporated into the plea agreement.

Humphrey has been in custody since Nov. 18 when the St. Louis, Minn., County Sheriff's Office allegedly found her in a hotel room with $4,000 in her possession. She was later transferred to the Routt County Jail.

Police believe Humphrey stole $7,232.81 from the Go-Fer Foods convenience store at 644 Lincoln Ave. The theft was reported Nov. 16 when the store manager found $4,215.81 in receipts taken, $2,420 taken from the ATM, $400 missing from the cash drawer, $197 taken from the store safe and $70 taken from the liquor store register.

Humphrey has been missing from the time her shift ended Nov. 15 until she was found in Minnesota a week later.

Morrison argued for Judge James Garrecht to grant Humphrey a personal recognizance bond, saying Humphrey has lived in Steamboat for eight years and in Colorado since she was 16.

Humphrey also knew a person who would give her a place to stay and work, Morrison said.

Knauss said Humphrey was a severe flight risk and mentioned a handwritten note found in Humphrey's Minnesota hotel room.

The note indicated that Humphrey was considering fleeing to Canada, Knauss said, and admitted she had "done something stupid and ran."

"If I go back to Colorado, it looks to be at least three years in prison," Knauss said the note read. "I can't face that."

The $4,000 and a deposit bag were found in the hotel room, Knauss said.

Morrison noted that Humphrey made two attempts to contact a sheriff's deputy and was found in Minnesota, not Canada.

Since Humphrey has no previous felony convictions, Garrecht said he would reduce the bond from $10,000 to $5,000, which is the normal bond amount for a Class 4 felony. Garrecht said that was the lowest he would go.

-- To reach Christine Metz call 871-4229

or e-mail cmetz@steamboatpilot.com