A Girl Scouts leader in central New Jersey lost her role as a volunteer after police said her claims that someone stole money from her troop while they were selling cookies at a mall may have been fabricated.
The Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey said in a statement on their website Wednesday they were “surprised and very saddened” about what the police investigation revealed, according to NBC News. The troop said it removed the volunteer leader, identified by police as Jessica Medina, from her position.
Police said last week that it was investigating the alleged theft of $1,000 after they were told by Medina that a disguised man, picked up an envelope from the table where Girl Scouts Troop 80062 was selling cookies at the Woodbridge Center mall.
But this week, the police said their investigation found “insufficient evidence to support the theft allegation as it was initially reported.”
Initially, the Woodbridge police were working off Medina’s story that the envelope, which contained about $500 in cash and several checks, was left unattended on the table. But, after interviewing parents, troop members and other people at the cookie sale event, the Police Department said they learned that the envelope was kept in a secure cash box and was never left out on the table.
Medina also changed up her story during follow-up interviews, according to the local authorities, even speculating that the envelope may have been accidentally tossed in the trash the day of the cookie sale event.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
