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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Police arrested a woman on drug charges after it was discovered she allegedly helped a man steal from Walmart.
Brooke Ellen Burke, 25, of Drums, had meth and pills in her purse when she was arrested for helping a man steal items and hide them Sunday evening, authorities report.
According to a criminal complaint:
A Walmart employee called police, stating that a man and woman were in the process of concealing items at 11:46 p.m. Sunday.
When officers arrived, they learned the male in question fled the store after the Walmart employee tried to stop him from leaving. The male is alleged to have stolen $151 of camping merchandise.
The employee was able to stop the female, later identified as Burke, from leaving.
Burke accompanied the employee to the loss prevention office in Walmart where she was placed under arrest for conspiracy to commit retail theft.
During a search of Burke’s purse, officers found a baggie containing 21.8 grams of suspected crystal meth; a bag of 15 blue tablets identified as anxiety medication Diazepam; another baggie containing 30 white tablets identified as muscle relaxant Carisoprodol; a baggie containing three-and-a-half light blue tablets identified as the sedative Alprazolam and one white round tablet identified as Oxycodone, a painkiller. Authorities also found five broken pieces of unidentified light green tablets.
Burke struggled with officers after she was placed in custody.
The Walmart employee said the entire theft incident was caught on video.
Burke was arraigned Monday morning in Luzerne County Central Court by District Judge Thomas F. Malloy Sr. Her charges include retail theft, manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
Burke was remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.