An Albertville woman who allegedly stole a debit card from another mother’s purse at her child’s daycare is now facing felony charges in Wright County District Court.
Wright County attorneys have charge Elizabeth Ann Pacheco, 33, Albertville, with counts of identity theft and credit card fraud, both felonies, after she allegedly took a debit card from another mother’s purse while both women were picking up their children at a Rogers daycare.
According to the criminal complaint filed in 10th District Court, Pacheco then took the credit card and made charges at Walgreens in St. Michael and Super America, also in St. Michael, as well as Target in Rogers, before the other woman reported her card was missing. Those charges totaled more than $1,400, and were made within two hours on the date of Jan. 20, 2014.
Rogers Police, who were called in by Target store personnel after they noticed the unauthorized credit card use in their records, met with the victim Jan. 30, shortly after the charges were made. The victim told police her purse was missing, and it was taken some time between the time she purchased gas and the time she got home after picking up her child from daycare.
Target, Walgreens and Super America were all able to supply Rogers Police with surveillance video of the transactions at each store, and in each tape, the suspect was wearing the same coat, scarf and clothes and had the same appearance. Rogers PD officer then interviewed the daycare provider and staff at the Rogers daycare the victim used, and all three were able to state the suspect, Pacheco, had picked up her child the same time. Staff members viewed photos and identified Pacheco as the suspect using the victim’s credit card on Jan. 30, 2014.
Officers from the Rogers PD and Wright County Sheriff’s Department attempted to contact Pacheco on Jan. 31, but were unsuccessful. They contacted her Feb. 3, 2014, and interviewed her. Pacheco, who has multiple arrests on her record, denied any illegal conduct. When confronted with photos and surveillance evidence, Pacheco said she loaned her coat and scarf to an acquaintance.
Wright County detectives, meanwhile, created a photographic lineup for the Walgreens employee who was involved with the debit card transaction at the St. Michael store, and that employee picked out Pacheco as well.
Pacheco was apprehended and arrested by police earlier this month. She faces five years and/or a $10,000 fine on each charge.
Pacheco is currently serving two years of probation for giving a police officer a false identification, a sentence that is in place until 2016. She was incarcerated for more than 100 days on that charge, according to court records.
Pacheco has also been charged with theft, forgery and domestic assault in Wright and Hennepin counties over the last eight years, court records indicate.