A 23-year-old Houston woman admitted to police that she took a bank credit card she found at the Texas County Library sometime between Nov. 25-28 and used it to pay pre-paid cellular phone service at Houston Wal-Mart.
The victim is Terry Snelling, 53, of 390 Walnut St.
The woman said she returned the wallet to an employee at the library, but kept the Visa card. The total loss was estimated at more than $200. The total tally – including the jurisdictions outside this area – was about $3,800.
Police are seeking charges against the woman, and the credit card was recovered. Because no charges have been filed, no name has been released.
Houston police also are investigating fraudulent checks passed at two local businesses, Dollar General and Corner Express. Officers said Joseph W. Bell, 31, of 7778 Lay Road, reported the checks had cleared. A report has been sent to the county prosecutor’s office seeking charges of forgery and passing bad checks.
Bell said the incidents had occurred in May, and he was taking action because his name had been entered into a national database that made it difficult to purchase items.
In other matters, police:
-Were called to a Dec. 26 accident that police said occurred when a 2001 Pontiac Aztec operated by Caleb B. Pursifull, 19, of Houston, was northbound on North Industrial Drive, and he lost control of the vehicle while attempting to use his cellular telephone.
The vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a cable barrier between the shoulder and Houston House. There were no injuries, police said.