Sisters Charged with Stealing from Police Department: West Hartford PD (UPDATED)

WEST HARTFORD, CT – West Hartford Police have charged two women in connection to a $1,100 theft from the police department last month and say they denied knowing each other under questioning, despite the fact that they are sisters.

Police announced the arrests on Monday morning and said the stolen money was found at the Doctors Express at 1030 Boulevard. The money was subsequently turned into the police department where it was fraudulently picked up after an involved scam by two parties, according to Lt. Ted Stoneburner.

The $1,100 came from a wallet that was left behind at Doctors Express, where Yahaira Santiago worked, last month and Jennifer Melo went to police headquarters the next day claiming that it belonged to her, according to the Hartford Courant.

The Courant reports that Melo had a photo of the wallet on her cellphone and an elaborate backstory that it came from her mother.

However, about a week later, the real owner of the wallet came to police headquarters with the receipt of the $1,100 withdrawal from the bank.

Stoneburner said the arrests are the result of an intense investigation that determined, via search warrants, that the suspects spoke to each other 120 times within two weeks after the thefts — even though they denied knowing each other.

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During the course of the investigation, police found photos of the two together on Facebook, according to the Courant.

The women vehemently denied knowing each other under questioning by the officers, despite the fact that they are actually sisters, according to Stoneburner.

Stoneburner credited the investigating officers in the arrest.

“We had three officers that did an outstanding investigation: John Cardone, Brian Gallagher and a new officer Dalton Gallagher, who is Brian’s son,” Stoneburner said.

Santiago, 30, and Melo, 26, were both charged with fourth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit fourth-degree larceny and interfering with police. Santiago faces an additional charge of making a false statement.

Santiago was released on a court-set bond of $25,000 and Melo was released on a $1,100 court-set cash bond, which was the same amount that she allegedly stole from the PD, according to Stoneburner.

They both have a court date of March 17.

Pictured: Yahaira Santiago, left, and Jennifer Melo / West Hartford Police Department photos