Woman attempted to use stolen police officer's ATM card twice

BROCKTON, Mass. — A Brockton woman is being accused of using a police officer's lost debit card twice on Friday, officials say.

An officer was dispatched to the Points West Plaza on 21 Torrey Street at around 11:52 a.m. for a larceny call after a fellow officer received an alert on her phone about a charge to her ATM card.

The officer who's card was being used was attending a funeral mass for Sgt. Tracy Harrington Barbas, who died last Monday at the Our Lady of Lourdes Church, which happens to be right across the street from the location the card was first used.

Upon arrival at the scene, the responding officer was joined by several officers who were at the funeral mass, including the victim officer.

The suspect first attempted to make a $65 purchase at the Citi Trends store, but after the card was declined, the suspect left the store.

After receiving a good description of the suspect, officers then located her at the L&M store right next door and found the victim officer's debit card in her possession.

The suspect, identified as Alexandria Grace, 53, told officers she had found the card in the police station's parking lot when she was there on other business, and mistook it for her own card.

"When the officers spoke with her, she said she found the card in the parking lot at the police station and she thought it was hers," said police Detective Sgt. Michael Dennehy. "She didn't have a good explanation for why she didn't turn the card in - she just said she came into the station the day before to check on something, a report, and found it in the lot."

According to police, Grace wasn't arrested at the scene as she told officers she was heading to pick up three children from school and they wouldn't otherwise have a ride.

Instead, she was summoned to court on charges of improper use of a credit card under $250, larceny under $250 and larceny of a credit card.

Grace will be arraigned at the Brockton District Court but does not have a date set yet.

Cox Media Group