Mother Drove Teen Daughter's Getaway Car: Police

A Catasauqua woman is accused of driving her 15-year-old daughter and her son’s girlfriend to South Bethlehem to cut copper pipes out of an old Victorian house at 418 Broadway in June.

Esmeralda Walker, 34, of 510 Poplar St., Catasauqua, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the crime, which caused $50,000 in damage to the building because one of the pipes cut during the burglary caused a fuel oil spill in the basement, Bethlehem police said in the arrest affidavit.

The burglary occurred between 10 p.m. June 6 and 10:30 a.m. June 7. Fingerprints from Robin Fuglio of 2242 Dorothy Way, Alentown, were recovered from a piece of broken glass recovered from the burglary entry point, according to the arrest affidavit.

The affidavit also says:

• Fuglio confessed to her part in the burglary in a police interview on June 11. Fuglio said the Walkers asked her to participate in the burglary. They know her because she dated Walker’s son, Lance, who is currently incarcerated in Lehigh County Prison on “theft related offenses.”
• Fuglio said that after removing the glass, she unlocked the front door and the 15-year-old daughter went inside with a flashlight. The daughter then retrieved a red suitcase filled with tools and went back inside the house.
• While all this took place, Walker remained in the car, acting as the getaway driver, Fuglio told police.
• Walker has a criminal record that includes arrests for “multiple theft related offenses,” including another copper pipes burglary in Bucks County on March 27. She is currently out on bail in that case. Her 15-year-old daughter and an even younger son allegedly accompanied her on that burglary.

Walker was charged with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy and corruption of minors. She was arraigned before District Judge Nancy Matos-Gonzalez and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail.