Bala Police Beat: Fashion Crime, Detergent Theft, and Stolen Jewelry

At 11:36 a.m. on Feb. 9, police said a man entered the Bala Cynwyd Acme with a broken shovel and grocery bags. Police said Acme security saw the man put two bottles of Tide laundry detergent into the bags and walk out. When security stopped him, he said he’d bought the detergent at Wal-Mart and had the receipt in his car, police said.

Police said security then caught up with the man near the intersection of City Avenue and Belmont Avenue at which point he struck a security officer in the face with a closed fist. A state trooper driving by then stopped and arrested Andrew Bailey, 48, of the 400 block of W. Coulter Street in Philadelphia, police said.

Bailey was charged with aggravated assault, retail theft, receiving stolen property and harassment, police said. Bailey posted $5,000 cash bail and was taken to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Bailey also has an outstanding bench warrant in the city of Philadelphia, police said.

Retail Theft

Police said a woman entered Lord & Taylor on City Avenue in Bala Cynwyd at 2:18 p.m. Feb. 10 and attempted to steal $718.82 worth of merchandise, including brown UGG boots, a headband, socks, sweaters, and Michael Kors and DKNY brand clothing. Loss prevention officers at Lord & Taylor told police they saw a woman exit the dressing room wearing different clothes than she entered with.

Police said when they entered the dressing room, there were price tags on the floor, and they stopped the woman when she went to exit the store. Police said they found a pair of scissors the woman had reportedly used to cut off the price tags. Police arrested Niki Palmou, 38, of the 200 block of E. Wynnewood Road in Wynnewood and charged her with retail theft and possessing an instrument of crime.

Burglary

A burglary was discovered by a resident of the unit block of Maple Avenue in Belmont Hills on Feb. 11, and said it occurred sometime between Feb. 9 and Feb. 11 while she was away, police said.

Upon returning home, the resident found the kitchen door ajar and said both bedrooms had been ransacked, jewelry boxes appeared to have been gone through, and jewelry was missing. Police said it appears the burglar entered the home by prying in the basement door, and it is still unknown what exactly is missing.

Other News:

Police said there were a string of thefts from vehicles in Bala Cynwyd, all within a few blocks of one another, reported on Feb. 13, that took place sometime overnight between Feb. 12 and Feb. 13. Police said all of the cars targeted were unlocked, and reminded residents to lock their car doors. The thefts occurred in the following places:

• Kent Road—An iPod and cell phone were taken from an unlocked car, police said.
• Kent Road—A car had been gone through, but nothing was missing. The owner said someone had gone through the glove box, police said.
• 300 block of Pembroke Road--$5 worth of a roll of quarters  the owner uses to pay for parking was taken, police said.
• 300 block of Kent Road—An iPod and USB cable were taken from an unlocked car, police said.
• 300 block of Bala Avenue—Police said a spare key to the vehicle and loose change were stolen from an unlocked car parked in a driveway.
• 300 block of Kent Road—An iPod and loose change were stolen from an unlocked car, police said.
• 100 Montgomery Avenue—A Garmin GPS unit was stolen from the glove box of an unlocked vehicle parked at Merion Court Apartments, police said.