Woman surrenders on charge she stole $700 cash from purse at Walmart

A woman whose picture was shared by State Police investigating a report of a theft of $700 cash from a purse found at a Walmart has turned herself in.

State Police said Sydney Pastor-Poe, 19, of Newton, was caught on surveillance camera taking the cash on July 26 from the purse left in a shopping cart outside the store in Hampton Township. Update, April 2018: Charges against Pastor-Poe were later dismissed after she successfully completed a pre-trial intervention program, an alternative to traditional prosecution that seeks to offer rehabilitation services in cases where they may be expected to help prevent future offenses. 

Police said she found the purse and turned it into store employees, but not not before swiping the money.

State Police posted her picture on Aug. 3 and said that within hours she turned herself in at their Sussex Station.

Pastor-Poe was charged with theft of mislaid property and released pending a court date.

The case is an example of how law enforcement uses Facebook and other social media platforms to identify and apprehend suspects.

"Typically when we get a lot of shares and likes on a post, we identify the person that we're trying to catch," State Police Sgt. Jeff Flynn recently told New Jersey 101.5. "Sitting behind a computer, we can put out photos, and we can reach hundreds of thousands of people within minutes."

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com