CRIME

Ambler man charged with felony retail theft after stealing $242 of food from Weavers Way, police say

Rodney McClure, 57, has been charged with felony retail theft, conspiracy to commit retail theft, and related offenses, stemming from his May 25 arrest in Ambler Borough.

Ambler Borough Police Department. Photo by James Short.

Rodney McClure, 57, has been charged with felony retail theft, conspiracy to commit retail theft, and related offenses, stemming from his May 25 arrest in Ambler Borough.

  • Public Safety

An Ambler man has been charged with felony retail theft and related offenses after he allegedly stole $242 worth of meats and seafood from Weavers Way over Memorial Day weekend.

Rodney McClure, 57, has been charged with felony retail theft, conspiracy to commit retail theft, and a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property, stemming from the alleged incident on May 25. He is currently free on $500 unsecured bail.

Police allege McClure and a woman, later identified as 48-year-old Heather Mackay, of Norristown, entered the store at 8:54 a.m. and proceeded to place various steaks, crab legs, and chicken into a pair of cloth Weavers Way bags. Both McClure and Mackay then left the store without paying, according to charging documents.

Later that afternoon, McClure returned to the store carrying an empty Weavers Way bag, at which point store personnel called police, the report states. Investigators said they encountered McClure walking on Railroad Avenue, at which point he allegedly admitted to being at the store at the time of the thefts and identified the woman as Mackay.

The criminal complaint notes that McClure is a regular at the market, and the thefts were captured on in-store surveillance.

In addition to the charges filed against McClure, Mackay was charged with misdemeanor counts of retail theft, conspiracy to commit retail theft, and receiving stolen property. She is free on $1,000 unsecured bail, according to court records.

Both McClure and Mackay have preliminary hearings scheduled for June 14 in front of Magisterial District Judge Douglas Lavenberg.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.