Posted on 12/04/2008 4:43:24 AM PST by MaryFromMichigan
The Salvation Army and police are looking into the thefts of toys for the WOOD TV8/WOTV 4 Salvation Army Angel Tree Toy Drive.
(Hope that the Huntington Bank has a good photo of the perp.)
(Excerpt) Read more at woodtv.com ...
The first crime occurred around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at one of the program's dropoff sites -- Delta Imports at 6025 28th Street in Grand Rapids.
A woman arrived at the dealership claiming to be from the Salvation Army and told employees she was there to pick up the toys. She then loaded her vehicle with about a dozen toys and drove away.
Erica Kaiser, the warranty administrator at Delta Imports, said she was in her office when a sales representative came and told her what happened. Kaiser knew immediately something was wrong and filed a police report.
"They said she had something around her neck that looked like some type of ID. But nobody looked at it close enough to see what it was," an officer at the scene described the thief.
The Kent County Sheriff's Department says a few minutes later it received a similar complaint occurring blocks away at the Huntington Bank located at 6174 28th Street. About 60 gifts were stolen from this location.
Police say the suspect is described as a white woman, 30-40 years old, about 5'3" tall, having a medium to slender build and redish blond, shoulder-length hair. Her vehicle is described as an older, medium-sized, dark-colored sedan.
Profiling!!! Racial, age, height, weight, and hair style profiling!!! Call Jessie Jackson asap.
The Marines are just trying to beef up their Toys for Tots donations.
Go ahead and try to get those toys back. ;-P
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The Salvation Army says that all toys are accounted for and she is a volunteer.
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/Salvation_Army_no_Angel_Tree_theft
If she actually stole toys, then she is so low, I can’t even say.
But I can tell you from working at Salvation Army with my kids, sometimes they are not very organized. In their zeal to get volunteers, they don’t do a lot of screening. Volunteers at our Salvation Army were asking for “bus money” from people dropping off goods, when they had a ride home provided for them.
Salvation Army should do more to screen their volunteers as well.
Angel Tree thief pleads guilty
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A woman has admitted in court to stealing Salvation Army Angel Tree gifts from area drop-off sites.
Terri Ann Mikula was seen on surveillance video in December taking the toys from several locations around Grand Rapids.
Police say she returned some of the toys to stores for cash.
24 Hour News 8 aired video of Mikula stealing the gifts and she was arrested after donating the remaining toys back to the Salvation Army.
She pleaded guilty Wednesday to larceny in a building and being a habitual offender. She could spend up to 15 years in prison.
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Update at post #10.
I love happy endings!
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