Police: Thief locked in CVS after hiding from workers
Woman found with suspected heroin during arrest
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A 32-year-old homeless woman is in jail after police say she hid from employees of an Altoona pharmacy who then locked up the building and left her inside.
Rachel M. Weigner also had suspected heroin on her when she was arrested. A female officer allegedly found four syringes in Weigner's vagina during a subsequent search, according to charges filed by Altoona police.
About 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Altoona police responded for an alarm at the CVS Pharmacy at 200 E. Plank Road. Responding officers found the front door open but no one inside.
Police said video from the store revealed Weigner, wearing a purple COVID-19 mask, walked into the pharmacy at 8:18 p.m. carrying a floral-pattern bag that appeared "empty and collapsed," according to the charges. Around the time the store was closing, just before 9 p.m., Weigner appeared to hide from employees by ducking down in the aisles, and when the pharmacy closed at 9 p.m., she was locked inside. At 9:14, she is seen on video walking out of the pharmacy with what appeared to be a full bag, police said.
A shopping cart with items in it was found in the middle of an aisle in the pharmacy. Three of the packages were opened with the products missing -- a Trojan-brand Vibrations Power Wand worth $44.99, a Powerxcell wireless charging pad priced at $15.49 and a Finishing Touch Flawless Razor that police didn't list the price of.
Police noted that Weigner was found at Martin's Food Store, 1000 Logan Blvd. She gave police permission to search her bag, but none of the missing items from CVS were found. Police said she did have some new and unopened items in the bag, but none from the pharmacy. In her purse, police allegedly found a syringe, five clonazepam pills, two packets of suspected heroin, a plastic spoon and a scale.
When questioned by police, Weigner denied stealing anything from CVS Pharmacy, but did admit she was in the store after it was closed and that she had unlocked the front door and left, setting off the alarm.
She said she didn't steal anything but did say she left the cart in the middle of the aisle, police noted in the charges.
Weigner allegedly confessed to stealing a Duracell rechargable battery pack, and police said it was in her bag. Police said she did buy two bottles of soda at the grocery store, and after she was taken to the Altoona Police Department, she admitted to taking other items from Martin's, including Febreze fabric deodorizer and hair dye. They were also found in the bag, police added.
After she was searched and put in a holding cell, an officer heard what sounded like dry-heaving and so he looked at the video camera feed from the cell to see Weigner sticking her hand in the toilet.
Police said a check of Weigner then revealed two small plastic bags on the floor of the cell, one marked with a devil logo and the other with an eight-ball logo.
Police said Weigner had a small change purse tucked in her waistband and a syringe in her pocket.
When a female officer was called in to do a more thorough search, two small cylinders were found in Weigner's bra, two small plastic bags with a devil logo were found in her underwear and four hypodermic needles were located in her vagina, police said.
Weigner is charged with felony criminal trespass along with misdemeanor charges of tampering with evidence, possessing instruments of crime and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was also cited for retail theft.
Magisterial District Judge Fred Miller set bail at $20,000 cash on Saturday night, and Weigner was placed in Blair County Prison. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 6 before Magisterial District Judge Ben Jones.