A Missouri family got a bit of a rude awakening last week when they discovered that there was a mostly naked woman sitting in their kitchen, scarfing down their Fruity Pebbles while petting their dog.
Teara Joann Smith from Houston, Missouri, was arrested on Tuesday, March 3, in Springfield, according to court documents provided to Us Weekly.
Police were called that morning by a woman who said she was outside doing yardwork when her son walked back from their kitchen after seeing Smith, who is 23.
She told 911 operators that the boy explained to her that “there was a strange lady in the kitchen eating cereal.”
And indeed, there was Smith, without any pants, shoes or socks and with a jacket wrapped around her waist, munching on some Fruity Pebbles.
The court documents contend that the son told police he could smell something burning in the house, so he went to the kitchen to check things out. There, he saw a gleeful Smith petting one of the family’s dogs while messing around with the oven.
The woman who called 911 allegedly went to confront Smith and demanded that the strange woman clean up the milk and cereal she had spilled all over the kitchen floor.
But Smith did not oblige. Officers arrived to find Smith still in the kitchen. By all appearances, she was under the influence of a controlled substance, police alleged.
According to the court docs, Smith took several minutes trying to tell the police her name. She also allegedly made statements using made-up words and was said to be smiling and giggling as she interacted with the cops.
The following day, police said that they spoke to Smith while she was still in jail — and sober.
“Smith stated she was out walking around and observed the house that she believed was a ‘fair,’” it reads in the court documents. “Smith stated she went up to the front door and knocked on the door and rang the doorbell. Smith stated she heard something inside and walked inside the residence. Smith stated once she was hungry, she wanted cereal.”
Smith said she did not turn the stove on, claiming that it was on when she first walked in.
She also allegedly copped to smoking some marijuana prior to making her way into the home.
Smith was charged with first-degree burglary, to which she has entered a not guilty plea.
Investigators say she told police she did not want to stay in jail because she had an upcoming court date in another county.
Records show she was arrested on November 29, 2025, for tampering with a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended or revoked license. She was also arrested in late 2024, but it was unclear from the records what she was charged with at that time.
It was unclear on Monday, March 9, if she had hired an attorney to represent her in court.
Us called a pair of numbers associated with Smith but was unable to reach anyone who knows her for comment.
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