A Hatfield Township woman is facing felony retail theft charges after she allegedly attempted to steal mascara and other items from the ShopRite on Forty Foot Road in Hatfield Township.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the store at 6:49 p.m. on Dec. 13 for a report of a female in custody for retail theft. Upon arrival, police viewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed a female customer—identified as 57-year-old Janice Ward—hiding mascara and other items under the seat of her motorized cart while she was shopping throughout the store, the report states.
Police were informed that once Ward went to the checkout register, she allegedly paid for several items but made no effort to pay for the items that she had hidden under the seat, the report states. Ward then exited the store, but was stopped in the parking lot by the store’s loss prevention manager, according to the report.
The total value of the recovered stolen items was $108.05, police said.
As a result of the incident, Ward has been charged with felony counts of retail theft and receiving stolen property. The charges were upgraded to felony level due to Ward having prior retail theft convictions on Oct. 9, 2007, Oct. 17, 2007 and July 21, 2012.
Ward was arraigned on Dec. 14 by Magisterial District Judge Maurice Saylor, who set bail at $5,000 unsecured. Ward was then released from custody, and her next court appearance is a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine on Jan. 10, 2020, at 9:45 a.m.
(Editor’s note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
See also:
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Man Facing A Dozen Felony Charges After Forging Checks From Montgomery Township Business: Police
Towamencin Man Charged With Attempting To Make Prohibited Purchase Of A Firearm
