Young woman accused of stealing from landlord

MONTGOMERY – A 19-year-old woman has been accused of stealing $3,800 from her landlord last week and then submitting a fictitious burglary report in an attempt to cover up the theft, according to borough police.

After removing the cash from her landlord’s locked box on March 5, Priscilla Louise Hostetter “ransacked the upstairs portion of the home to make it appear as if a burglary had occurred,” Patrolman Jeffrey S. Houseknecht said in an affidavit.

Hostetter and her landlord, Julie Weaver, both live at 33 N. Main St., the officer said.

After ransacking the upstairs, Hostetter called police. She told them that there had been a break-in and that she saw a man “wearing all black clothing running behind the house,” Houseknecht said.

However, when police went to inspect the area behind the home, there were “no fresh footprints in the old snow,” Houseknecht said. State police assisted with the investigation.

Police also were very suspicious that the burglary report was phony after seeing how the upstairs had been ransacked.

Upon being confronted, Hostetter admitted there was no break-in and that she had stolen Weaver’s money, most of which was recovered, Houseknecht said.

Hostetter admitted she gave $677 of Weaver’s money to her parents to cover the amount she still owned them for a vehicle, the officer said.

Following her arraignment hours later before District Judge Jon E. Kemp on charges of felony theft, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief and false reports to law enforcement, Hostetter was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.