Beach Club Bat Mitzvah Thefts Linked To Catering Worker, According to Police

MAMARONECK, NY — A cause for celebration was exploited by a worker who took advantage of an opportunity to serve herself, according to police.

The Village of Mamaroneck Police Department said it has arrested a Connecticut woman following a multi-agency investigation into the theft of gift checks from a Bat Mitzvah celebration held in Mamaroneck.

The investigation began after the family of a Bat Mitzvah celebrant reported to police that multiple checks given to their daughter during the October event at the Orienta Beach Club had not been cashed.

Detectives determined that the missing checks had been taken from a secured gift card box during the celebrations.

Through review of surveillance footage, detectives saw a female event worker removing gift cards on multiple occasions during the event. Investigators say the suspect was employed by an outside staffing agency contracted to work at the event.

The suspect was later linked to cash stolen checks at several locations across the area, according to cops.

Detectives uncovered additional thefts of gift checks from Bar Mitzvah events at other event spaces, including a country club in Greenburgh, police said. Investigators coordinated with the Greenburgh Police Department in this case.

The suspect was ultimately identified as 29-year-old Maria Ham-Sagastume, of Norwalk, Connecticut, according to authorities,

An arrest warrant was obtained, and on Tuesday, detectives from the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department took Ham-Sagastume into custody. She was taken to Mamaroneck Police Department headquarters, where she was processed, arraigned, and released on her own recognizance.

"The Village of Mamaroneck Police Department thanks the cooperating agencies and affected venues for their assistance and reminds the public that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," the department said in a statement announcing the arrest.