Habitual Shoplifter Used Candy Bar As Decoy At Mansfield Store: Police

MANSFIELD, CT — A 51-year-old Windham woman described in an arrest warrant as a habitual shoplifter at the Mansfield Big Y supermarket has been charged with 11 counts of larceny, state police said. Most times, she used a candy bar as a scanning decoy, according to a warrant.

Edna Pena was taken into custody on Dec. 9, state police said. She is accused of scanning candy bars, then leaving the store with several other items she did not pay for, according to a warrant.

According to a warrant, an investigator for Big Y told state police that more than $1,200 worth of stolen items had been traced to Pena and that total could be as much as $3,000. Store officials set up a meeting with Pena to resolve the issue privately, but she was a no-show, according to a warrant. She also did not return phone calls from Big Y, according to a warrant.

Big Y officials then decided to file a criminal complaint, according to a warrant.

Pena was identified 11 times as a shoplifter at the Big Y self-checkout area between Aug. 15 and Oct. 19, according to a warrant. She was using a store card via another person's phone number as another decoy, according to a warrant. Once the store card activated the checkout system with another identity, she would scan only the candy bar, then leave other items in her cart and sneak out while not paying for them, according to a warrant.

According to a warrant and based on surveillance data, Pena is accused of:

• Scanning a candy bar, then leaving seven items in her cart valued at $55.73
• Scanning a candy bar then leaving 14 items in her cart valued at $156.66
• Leaving the store with five items valued at $50.59
• Scanning a candy bar then leaving 13 items worth $98.08 in her cart
• Sneaking out with 19 items valued at $151.17 after scanning a candy bar
• Sneaking out of the store with 17 items worth $183.65
• Leaving the store with 11 items worth $102.91 after scanning a candy bar
• Stealing 14 items worth $140.80
• Scanning a candy bar then leaving with 19 unpaid-for items worth $151.83
• Leaving with 10 items worth $82.43 after scanning a candy bar
• Leaving with seven items in her cart worth $57.94 after scanning a candy bar

The total value of the 11 thefts added up to $1,234.15, according to a warrant.

Pena has a court date of Dec. 21.