CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Police have released new details in the weekend arrest of a Texas woman who allegedly conducted a theft operation on St. John.
Jennifer A. Northcutt, 54, of Richardson, Texas, was arrested at 12:30 p.m. Friday and charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Northcutt was stopped by federal authorities as she tried to flee the territory with “thousands of dollars” in jewelry she allegedly stole from a Cruz Bay store on Thursday, according to the VIPD.
“On April 29, employees of the Vibe Collection jewelry store in Cruz Bay, St. John noticed several pieces of jewelry were missing,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said. “Upon reviewing the store’s surveillance video, the employees observed Northcutt collecting various pieces of jewelry, valued in the thousands of dollars. Video footage captured her leaving the store without paying for the items. Law enforcement was contacted upon discovery.”
Northcutt was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on Friday at the Cyril E. King Airport as she attempted to leave the territory, according to Derima.
“In a statement, she admitted to larceny and being in possession of the stolen items,” the police spokesman said.
Bail for Northcutt was set at $20,000, which she was unable to post. She was subsequently turned over to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections, pending her Advice of Rights hearing.
Meanwhile, the armchair detectives who read the Virgin Islands Free Press were on to Richardson early, calling her out on social media.
“Is this the lady caught on camera stealing from Vibe?” Crystal Maree said on Facebook Saturday.
All individuals listed as arrested or charged with a crime in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.