MONROE TWP., Pa. (EYT) — A Venango County woman has been charged with theft for allegedly stealing a phone at a Monroe Township business.
Court documents indicate the Clarion-based State Police filed criminal charges against 51-year-old Ann Marie Thomas, of Franklin, on August 26.
According to a criminal complaint, the incident occurred at a retail business in Monroe Township, Clarion County, around 8:00 p.m. on November 11, 2018. The known victim, who was an employee of the retail business, stated that she placed her Samsung 7S cell phone and Otterbox case down on a food island in front of a deli case and left it behind when going to another part of the store. When she returned to get the phone, she found it was gone.
The phone and case are valued at approximately $800.00, the complaint notes.
According to the complaint, the victim then had a coworker find video surveillance of the person who took the phone and had still images made from it. The images showed a white woman with brown hair of approximately 40 years of age accompanied by children, according to the complaint.
The complaint states the woman eventually left the business in what appeared to be a purple PT Cruiser.
The victim then tracked the phone to its last known location, which was a residence near Meadville, according to the complaint.
Clarion-based State Police went to the Meadville residence in January 2020.
The woman in the images from the business was then identified as Ann Thomas, who they found was the babysitter for the children pictured. Police also found Thomas drives a purple PT Cruiser, the complaint states.
State police tried to reach Thomas by phone, but got no answer, according to the complaint.
Thomas was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Jarah Lee Heeter at 4:15 a.m. on September 3, on the following charge:
– Theft Property Lost Etc. By Mistake, Felony 3
She remains free on $5,000.00 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, with Magisterial District Judge Timothy P. Schill presiding.
