Two arrested after stealing hundreds of dollars in merchandise from discount store
The criminal complaint says that on March 23 at about 6:25 p.m., the defendants, identified as Monica Sue Barten, 38, and Tony Martinez Jr., 39, entered the Burlington store and loaded a shopping cart full of merchandise. Barten allegedly passed the last point of sale without paying for the items and helped Martinez push the cart full of merchandise outside. The items taken from the store totaled $769.53.
They were found shortly afterward at a gas station with a pile of clothes and other merchandise, with tags from Burlington still attached to them. Officers searched an abandoned backpack inside the vehicle and found Barten's wallet with her ID, along with a plastic bag containing a white, powdery substance. The white substance field tested positive for methamphetamine and the total package weight was .31g. Barten has two prior possession of a controlled substance convictions in 2022 through Scott County, which is why the latest possession charge was upgraded. Martinez admitted in a post-Miranda interview that he took the items.
Barten was arrested and charged with two counts of felony possession 3rd and a misdemeanor count of third-degree theft. Martinez was arrested and charged with misdemeanor third-degree theft.
She is being held in the Scott County Jail on a $5,000 secured bond and has a preliminary hearing on April 11. He was released on his own recognizance and also has a preliminary hearing on April 11.
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