1,429 airline liquor bottles pocketed by airplane cleaner, police say

NEW YORK (AP) — Police say an airplane cleaner has been arrested on charges she pocketed nearly $15,000 worth of contraband from planes grounded in New York City, including nearly 1,500 unopened bottles of liquor.

A spokesman for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police says Juanette Cullum has been charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

The spokesman, Joe Pentangelo, says a witness told American Airlines security officials that the 48-year-old Brooklyn woman was stealing property at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

He says detectives interviewed Cullum and searched her apartment, finding 1,429 bottles of unopened liquor, seven iPads, two laptops, 19 Kindle tablets and toiletries.

Calls Friday to American Airlines and Cullum's employer, AirServ, weren't immediately returned.

It wasn't clear if Cullum has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

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