According to the criminal complaint:

On Saturday, a Racine police officer responded to One Hour Martinizing, 4606 Washington Ave., for a report of a burglary. The owner had footage of a former employee stealing money from the store after business hours.

The owner noticed the business’s cash registers had been short for several months. She originally thought she miscounted money or an elderly employee had been giving incorrect change.

One night, the owner closed the store. When she reopened it, the cash registers were short. This was around the time she fired Bell for work issues. Bell did not leave on good terms, she said, and did not return the key to the business.

The owner installed cameras. She showed officers a video from Friday which showed Bell entering the store after hours. She took money from the cash register and left. The next day, $53 was missing from the register.

Bell was found at a bar in the 1400 block of Superior Street. Officers found a large amount of cash in her possession.

Bell reportedly admitted to stealing cash from the business after hours on several occasions. She said she took money from the business because she had “fallen on hard times.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, Bell remained in custody on a $200 cash bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19 at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.