Man on Bike Stole Shopping Cart, Power Saw, Police Say

Palmer Township police say there were two things about Gerald Bennett that caught their attention earlier this month: the Home Depot shopping cart he was pulling behind his bike, and the brand new power saw inside of it.

Bennett, 45, of Phillipsburg was charged this weekend with felony retail theft—he has two prior convictions—and theft.

According to court records, Bennett had been stopped by Easton police in early September when an officer spotted him dragging the shopping cart. Inside was an unwrapped, in-the-box power saw. They checked with Palmer Township police, who checked with Home Depot.

Police say the store told them they hadn't sold that kind of saw since February. A review of surveillance tape showed a man who matched Bennett's description leaving the store with the saw without paying, police say.

He was arraigned before District Judge Daniel Corpora on Easton's South Side, and sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail.