Hope woman arrested for theft remains in jail

Sun, 01/31/2016 - 7:30pm

    ROCKLAND — A Hope woman who was arrested for allegedly switching price tags of merchandise at a Rockland business was ordered held without bail by Judge Patricia Worth Jan. 27 pending a hearing to revoke her probation.

    Rockland Police Officer Scott Solorzano charged Traci L. Cultrera, 49, of Hope, Jan. 22 with theft by deception and violating conditions of release.

    Cultrera has 20 previous arrests, primarily for theft, and numerous probation revocations, according to the court documents. She has been on probation since May 2015 for a theft conviction where she was sentenced to two years in prison, all suspended, and two years of probation when she allegedly committed the most recent theft Jan. 22.

    Her initial court appearance was Jan. 25 in Knox County Unified Court following her arrest and she was held in jail on a probation hold initiated by her probation officer.

    According to the police report filed by Solorzano, Cultrera was arrested after an employee at Sweet Peas Family Consignment Boutique on Park Street in Rockland contacted police about a woman, later identified as Cultrera, who was seen on the store’s security video footage removing an original price tag from a purse and switching it with another price tag removed from a much lower priced item. She then purchased the purse with the substituted price tag.

    Cultrera said that she has been diagnosed with a disorder that causes her to shoplift when she is under stress, according to the police report.

    Rockland Police identified Cultrera by posting the video on the department’s facebook page.

    Cultrera’s hearing for her probation revocation is scheduled for Feb. 19 in Knox County Unified Court.

    Attorney Kimberly Richardson of Richardson Law in Brunswick is representing Cultrera.

    Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com