Cops: Woman stole $520 from jury on another trial

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Authorities say a Pennsylvania woman made jury duty even worse than usual for nine people by stealing their money while they were hearing a different case.

The Allegheny County sheriff on Thursday charged 38-year-old Jawanda Tench, of Swissvale, with stealing $520 from the jurors’ purses.

Deputies reviewed surveillance video and saw a woman who appeared to have court papers sticking out of her pocket enter the jury room on Tuesday around the time the money went missing.

After reviewing records of recent arrests, investigators determined Tench had been in the courthouse that day after being arraigned and released on unrelated retail theft charges that morning.

Tench has been jailed. Online court records don’t list an attorney for her. She faces a preliminary hearing Oct. 21.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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