A Schuylkill County woman is facing several felony charges after police say she stole a debit card from the women’s locker room at Planet Fitness and then used it to make several purchases at Cressona Mall.
According to court papers filed with District Magistrate AJ Serina, the alleged theft happened back on April 10 at the Planet Fitness location at Cressona Mall.
On that day, a 17-year-old girl told police that the debit card located in her jacket that was in an unsecured locker at the gym was missing when she left the business.
The girl told police that she checked her transaction history and noticed 4 purchases she didn’t make totaling $327.05 made that same day.
These purchases, police say, happened at Staples, Dollar General, and Giant, all stores at the mall.
After talking with the victim, police then went to Staples and spoke with the assistant manager there. The employee provided police with a receipt for $205.95, which matched the transaction from the victim’s bank records.
Police say that transaction was for a Visa debit gift card. The card cost $5.95 to activate and $200 was loaded onto it with the reported stolen debit card.
A day after the reported theft, police then went to Giant and were able to asked for help identifying the two transactions made at the grocery store using the stolen debit card.
On April 22, Giant responded, providing copies of two receipts that matched the transactions from the bank records as well as video surveillance footage.
One of the transactions was for a Visa Vanilla gift card for $100 + the $5.95 activation fee. The other was for a Black Cherry White Claw hard seltzer for $3.29.
Using the video surveillance, police identified Kyla McLoughlin, 31, as their suspect.
Police also went to Planet Fitness and reviewed security footage there and confirmed McLoughlin was present in the gym when the victim says her debit card was taken.
On April 27, police received video surveillance footage from Dollar General which allegedly shows McLoughlin unsuccessfully trying to load $200 onto a gift card. Eventually, McLoughlin just buys batteries there for $11.66.
Then, on Aug. 5, police arrived at McLoughlin’s residence for questioning. Police showed her video stills and footage.
McLoughlin allegedly told police she didn’t have the debit card and left it at Giant.
Police then say McLoughlin admitted to taking the card. She said the money was going to be used for gifts for her father and uncle.
“I don’t know what to say. I took the card for my father and my uncle’s birthday. It’s not right. I understand,” police say McLoughlin said in her interview.
McLoughlin is now looking at four third-degree felony access device charges as well as a misdemeanor for theft.
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