Purse Thief Thwarted by Store Employee, Police Say

The expression “timing is everything” proved to be true Tuesday afternoon in the case of a Palmer Township woman accused of stealing items from a Main Street, Bethlehem, store.

Court records say Nicole Sestak, 30, walked into The Gem Shop, 518 Main St., first floor, around 3:10 p.m.

Two store employees watched as Sestak allegedly took a light green purse and several pieces of jewelry—green stud earrings, a gold necklace and a tri-colored ring—and walked out of the store without paying, the records say.

Sestak, wearing a white T-shirt and knee-length shorts, headed toward Broad Street. Neither employee knew her.

But one of the employees went next door to The Attic, 516 Main St., and gave a description of Sestak to an employee there. That employee said the woman “could be Nicole Sestak,” the records say.

The Attic employee said Sestak has been selling jewelry to her store and was there earlier that day.

At around 3:57 p.m., about 45 minutes after The Gem Shop theft, who walks into The Attic again but Sestak, court records said. This time, The Gem Shop employee recognized her.

The records don’t say what happened next but Sestak eventually was taken into custody that day. And a check of her criminal history showed she has four prior retail theft convictions.

The purse and jewelry Sestak is accused of taking had a total value of $85, according to a criminal complaint filed by city Officer Gregory Yerk.

Sestak, of 110 Wilden Drive in Palmer, was charged with retail theft, which rose to a level-three felony because of the four prior convictions. She also was charged with receiving stolen property.

She was arraigned Tuesday night by on-duty District Judge Diane Marakovits of Northampton and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $3,000 bail.