Woman Allegedly Steals Coat, Wallet From Framingham Food Pantry

FRAMINGHAM, MA -- A Woburn woman was arrested in Framingham last week and charged with larceny from a building after she was accused of stealing a jacket and wallet from Pearl Street Cupboard & Café, a food pantry run by the United Way of Massachusetts. According to court records, Natasha Wheaton, 27, of Woburn, told police she had taken the coat that belonged to a manager of the nonprofit by accident.

Staff members reviewed videotape showing a woman taking the coat after they noticed it was missing. When Wheaton returned the next day and was recognized as being the woman in the video, workers called police. Wheaton told police she thought the coat was one of the pantry's offerings. When she found keys and a wallet in the coat, she panicked and threw them away, but spent the $20 she found in the coat.

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In addition to the new charge, police determined that Wheaton had outstanding warrants, including one for disorderly conduct and another for possession of a class B substance. She was released on personal recognizance and will be back in court on Dec. 4.

Charlene Arsenault can be reached at charlene.arsenault@patch.com.

Story by Dave Copeland, Patch staff

Patch file photo via Shutterstock.