A Torrington woman who is accused of stealing crucifixes and a Madonna medal from the gift shop of a religious shrine told police that she stole them to pay her electric, according to reports.
The Grotto Gift Shop at the Lourdes in Litchfield shrine is a little shop that sells rosary beads, religious statues and items people typically give to celebrate a baptism, First Communion or other religious occasions.
The Web site says, "come and see what our Grotto Gift Shop has to offer. And take away a precious gift that will last forever."
By take away, they don't mean shoplift and that is what police said Loriann Eisenberg, 45, of Bantam, did on Wednesday.
She is accused of going into the Litchfield shop, just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday and stealing two crucifixes, a Madonna medal and three gold chains, according to a news release from state police and the clerk of the store.
After picking out the items, she handed the clerk a check for $1,012.46, according to the Register Citizen. When the clerk went to contact the bank and verify the check, Eisenberg grabbed the jewelry and ran, the clerk said.
When police questioned Eisenberg, she gave a written statement saying the she took the items and her boyfriend, Eric Dumas, pawned them in Waterbury for money to pay the electric bill, the Register reports.
Eisenberg was charged with shoplifting and issuing a bad check. She was arraigned on Wednesday and is due back in court on Nov. 17.
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Dumas was charged with shoplifting.
Police recovered the items, the clerk said.
