Middletown police have arrested a woman accused of a purse snatching at Mondo Restaurant in Middletown on Sunday night.
Police responded to the restaurant at 10 Main Street at 7:13 p.m. and met with the victim, who said her purse had been strapped around a barstool and she noticed it was gone around 35 minutes later.
She suspected a woman who had been sitting near her stole the purse, a Prada bag worth $3,500 that contained $300 in cash, as well as two small wallets worth around $150 each, credit cards and a debit card.
Police later questioned Jennifer Ann Norelus, 33, of Manchester, who admitted to being at the restaurant, but denied stealing the purse, police said.
The restaurant manager gave police access to surveillance, which they said showed Norelus go into the restaurant at 6:55 p.m., take off her coat, place it over the back of the stool, then sit down, police said.
The victim came in around 10 minutes later and sat behind Norelus, who got up around 10 minutes later, stood behind the victim and appeared to take the purse off the back of the school and hide it under her coat, police said.
Surveillance from another angle showed what appeared to be the purse under the coat, police said.
Norelus has not been wearing a coat when she left the restaurant, even though it was 17 degrees and snowing, police said, so they asked her why and she said she was “in a rush to meet a friend.”
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The whereabouts of the purse are not known.
Police said Norelus had been released from York Correctional the day before after posting bond and has been charged with third-degree larceny in this case. She is being held on $1,000 surety bond.
