Herald Writer

EVERETT — It really wasn’t in the spirit of the season.

An Arlington woman has been accused of stealing hundreds of dollars that had been collected from Salvation Army donation buckets in the week before Christmas.

The suspect, 26, once worked on behalf of the nonprofit organization and knew how the money was collected, an Everett police report says.

Police allege that on Dec. 17 she passed herself off as a current Salvation Army employee and was able to get a key to the money collection pots at an Everett Fred Meyer store. She then replaced the full pots with empty ones.

Police estimate that she stole about $400 that day.

She reportedly tried the ruse again two days before Christmas at a north Everett QFC.

“This time the bell ringers had been warned that someone was pretending they worked for Salvation Army and not to release the collection pot to anyone unless they had proper identification,” the police report says.

She reportedly told them that she forgot her identification and eventually left.

Police showed up at the woman’s doorstep Jan. 13. She allegedly confessed.

She was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of criminal impersonation with the intent to defraud.