90-Year-Old Among Those Charged With Stealing From Food Pantry
HARRISON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The story has stunned a Westchester County community. Half a dozen town employees have been arrested and suspended. The group has been accused, of all things, of preying on a community food pantry.
Published reports say six Harrison town employees were charged with petty theft for incidents in December and January at the town food pantry, reports CBS 2's Sean Hennessey.
Authorities would not confirm if it was just food or cash or both allegedly stolen from the pantry. Regardless, Harrison residents were floored.
"We can't believe it. We can't. We can't believe it," resident Chuck Allard said.
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Allard was among the residents stunned by the allegations.
"They stole from the poor. That's as far as I see it. They stole from the poor," Allard said.
Harrison Police were not talking about the case Monday night, so it's unclear whether money or food was taken.
"That's terrible that we're living in times like that. It's unfortunate," resident Rosalia Daliapes said.
Among those charged was 90-year-old Florence Di'Imperio -- the head of the community's Meals on Wheels program. She turned out the lights of her home Monday night when Hennessey and his crew rolled up.
Also arrested was her son, Darryl, who lives nearby but wasn't home, and Sheryl Toplyn, who also didn't want to talk.
The mayor of Harrison is Joan Walsh. Hennessey went to her house to get some facts but, incredibly, she told someone inside the house to tell CBS 2 she was too busy to talk about the alleged thefts.
Neighbors of the suspects didn't know what to think.
"If it's true, it's something that we can only condemn," said Michel Botbol, one of the suspect's neighbors.
"In my association with her she's been nothing but a very nice individual and it's very hard, hard to believe," neighbor Tony Copolla said.
If true, do these allegations make you angry? Tell us in the comments section below.
