Police have arrested and charged a Pennsville woman with multiple counts of theft after she was allegedly identified for stealing merchandise at a local Cracker Barrel restaurant.
According to Pennsville County Police, 37-year-old Mellisa R. Barnes allegedly stole $750 worth of Yankee candles and car air fresheners on six separate occasions from the Cracker Barrel gift shop located near the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The authorities say that Barnes was arrested Wednesday around 9:45 p.m. and is being charged with six counts of theft. Barnes was found after members of the public saw the suspect’s photo on news accounts and identified her. Police believe that Barnes may have also been responsible for similar thefts in Cracker Barrels in Elkton and Bel Air in Maryland, and in Mount Laurel and Mount Holly in Burlington County, NJ.
Barnes, who is being held at Salem County Correctional Facility with her bail set at $25,000. Shoplifting in New Jersey can be an indictable criminal offense or a disorderly persons offense, depending on the amount of the alleged theft. Because Barnes is being accused of stealing $750 worth of merchandise, she may be convicted of a third degree shoplifting offense, punishable by a sentence of up to 5 years in prison.
For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Cracker Barrel candle thief nabbed, Pennsville police say
