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Crime Desk
sstafford@turlockjournal.com
209-634-9141, ext. 2002
A Winton couple has found themselves in trouble with the law after they were accused of taking a purse they found in a Merced County courtroom.
On Monday, a 24-year-old woman was sitting in the front row inside a courtroom. Sitting a few spaces away was husband and wife Isreal and Maria Mendoza, ages 42 and 39, respectively.
When the 24-year-old was called up to appear before the judge, she left her purse in her seat. When the case was done, she left the courtroom, mistakenly leaving her purse behind.
“Noticing she left without it, Maria slid over and began rummaging through it,” said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie.
When Maria Mendoza’s case was called up, it was her husband’s turn to pilfer through the purse, MacKenzie said.
“When Maria was finished, as she was walking out, Israel got up with the purse and handed it to her and Maria took it, slung it over her shoulder and walked out like it belonged to her,” MacKenzie said.
The couple then headed over to the civil courthouse for another matter and never turned the handbag over to any of the numerous bailiffs present, MacKenzie said.
Investigators were able to obtain the identity of the suspected culprits and served them with an arrest warrant Tuesday at their Winton home.
They were both booked into the Merced County Jail on charges of misappropriation of found property and conspiracy to commit theft.
“The only thing missing from the purse as far as we can tell at this point is some makeup. We do not believe any credit cards had been used as of yet,” MacKenzie said.
On Monday, a 24-year-old woman was sitting in the front row inside a courtroom. Sitting a few spaces away was husband and wife Isreal and Maria Mendoza, ages 42 and 39, respectively.
When the 24-year-old was called up to appear before the judge, she left her purse in her seat. When the case was done, she left the courtroom, mistakenly leaving her purse behind.
“Noticing she left without it, Maria slid over and began rummaging through it,” said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie.
When Maria Mendoza’s case was called up, it was her husband’s turn to pilfer through the purse, MacKenzie said.
“When Maria was finished, as she was walking out, Israel got up with the purse and handed it to her and Maria took it, slung it over her shoulder and walked out like it belonged to her,” MacKenzie said.
The couple then headed over to the civil courthouse for another matter and never turned the handbag over to any of the numerous bailiffs present, MacKenzie said.
Investigators were able to obtain the identity of the suspected culprits and served them with an arrest warrant Tuesday at their Winton home.
They were both booked into the Merced County Jail on charges of misappropriation of found property and conspiracy to commit theft.
“The only thing missing from the purse as far as we can tell at this point is some makeup. We do not believe any credit cards had been used as of yet,” MacKenzie said.
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