Hilltown Township Police. Photo by James Short.
A Hatfield woman with two prior retail theft convictions has been accused of felony retail theft for allegedly stealing $310 in groceries from Giant Food Store last month.
Michelle Sturgeon, 49, of the 800 block of Vassar Drive, Hatfield, was charged via warrant Sept. 4 by Hilltown Township Police in the Aug. 6 incident at Giant Food Store, 760 Route 113.
On Aug. 16, police reviewed a video from a theft that occurred Aug. 6, showing a white heavyset female with short blonde hair to the neckline, about 40 to 50 years of age, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall, wearing gold hoop earrings, a white or gray T-shirt, black leggings, black sandals, and ankle tattoos attempt to push a shopping cart filled with groceries out of the store without paying, police said.
Due to a security feature to prevent shoplifting, the cart wheels locked upon exiting the store, preventing the cart from being moved, police said. All merchandise was recovered, police said.
The individual, who police allege is Sturgeon, fled in an older silver Toyota sedan with tinted windows and Pennsylvania registration.
A DMV check of the car came back to Sturgeon, per the affidavit, which showed a driver’s license photo where she was wearing the same hoop earrings and had the same short blonde haircut.
Police went to Sturgeon’s home, but a woman there told them Sturgeon was not home and gave them an updated phone number for her, according to the complaint. Police attempted to call Sturgeon on the number, but it was changed or disconnected, police said. Using public records, police left messages for Sturgeon at multiple numbers to contact them, per the complaint.
According to court documents, Sturgeon was arraigned Sept. 11 at 4 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Mark D. Douple, who set bail at $15,000 unsecured. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 29 at 2:30 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
