Woman steals Christmas cards in search of cash

A Slatington woman has been charged after she stole numerous Christmas cards in search of cash.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by borough police Sgt. David Alercia:

At 11 a.m. Dec. 20, Alercia was dispatched to the area of South Second Street for a woman wearing a large white coat who was going up the street and stealing mail from houses.

Alercia saw the woman, identified as Mercedes Kiffer, 43, of the 300 block of Main Street, who fit the description at Second and East Washington Street, and ordered her to stop.

Alercia told Kiffer to stop, but she started to walk away from his patrol car as she was holding a blue fishnet bag with pieces of mail in it.

As Alercia left his patrol car, Kiffer tried to run in an opposite direction, at which point he advised the woman to stop because she was under arrest, grabbing her arm.

Kiffer resisted arrest, Kiffer kicked Alercia once in the groin and tried other times as well. Eventually Alercia was able to handcuff her.

Once Kiffer was in custody and placed in the back of the cruiser, Alercia picked up the blue bag along with the mail, which fell out of it and scattered on the street.

Kiffer admitted to stealing the mail and said she did it in the hopes to get money from Christmas cards.

Kiffer faces charges of aggravated assault; simple assault; resisting arrest or other law enforcement; theft by unlawful taking or disposition; receiving stolen property; and defiant trespass.

She is currently incarcerated in Lehigh County Jail on $25,000 straight bail, and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Friday in Lehigh County Central Court.