Police allege that a woman arrested for stealing tried to flee once she was transported to the hospital for medical issues she claimed she was suffering from while in custody.
Middletown police said they were dispatched to the Sport Authority on Lincoln Highway on the afternoon of Sunday, July 10 for a reported retail theft. The 9-1-1 caller gave a description of the plate the suspect fled in and it was flashed across police radio. Within a short time, a Falls Township officer spotted a similar vehicle and pulled it over.
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Police said they found two people in the vehicle they stopped.
A Sports Authority employee was taken to the traffic stop and recognized the two people in the vehicle as those who were involved in the theft of $1,130 worth of goods from the store, according to court papers.
Middletown police recovered the stolen goods and the Sports Authority confirmed it belonged to the store, authorities said.
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At the police station, the female from the stopped vehicle lied about her name and date of birth. She is also alleged to have provided false information on Pennsylvania State Police and FBI documents.
While in custody, the woman – later identified as Katherine Kelly, 38, of Staten Island, New York – had “simultaneous medical issues and insisted that an ambulance be called and she be released from custody,” police said.
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Kelly told medics who were transporting her to St. Mary Medical Center that she had severe cramps and could not walk on her own.
A Middletown officer was sent to the hospital to await Kelly’s discharge so she could be arraigned.
A medic told police once at the hospital Kelly’s apparent ailments disappeared and she fled on foot despite being told not to run. She ran to Core Creek Park and was picked up by a Middletown patrolman, police said.
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Kelly was found to have an active warrant out of New Jersey at the time of her arrest in Middletown, police said.
The driver of the getaway vehicle that took Kelly from Sport Authority during the theft was Bruce Lee Wilson, 25, of Trenton, court documents state.
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Kelly was charged with escape, conspiracy, forgery and false identification to law enforcement.
Wilson was charged with two counts of conspiracy.
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While Wilson was released on unsecured bail, Kelly was sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $50,000 bail.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
