JAY – A Wilton woman was arrested Tuesday after people identified her as the person on a store surveillance tape police sought in burglary and theft cases.

Irene Mckechnie, 56, was arrested on two counts of felony burglary of a motor vehicle and violation of probation, Jay police Chief Larry White Sr. said.

She was also charged with two counts of theft from Hannaford supermarket, he said.

Mckechnie went into Hannaford’s in Jay five weeks ago and stole a grocery cart of food and other products, White said.

She attempted to do the same thing Sunday but was stopped by a store employee after she left the foyer of the store, he said. She came back in and acted as if she was doing more shopping but left the full cart near the restrooms and exited the store, he added.

White estimated that together the carts contained between $400 to $600 worth of items.

After Mckechnie left the store Sunday, she then entered a couple of vehicles in the parking lot and stole some items, including a $70 pair of boots, a computer case, a hat, mittens and gloves and a measuring tape, White said.

The woman’s visits to the store were recorded by surveillance cameras.

A picture and a story on the unidentified woman ran in the Franklin County edition of the Sun Journal on Tuesday.

White said numerous people called the station identifying the same woman after the article and picture appeared.

The chief said he and officer Robert Sanders went to Mckechnie’s residence on High Street in Wilton with Wilton police officer Terry Warren.

The woman was not cooperative, White said, but people living at the home were. After interviewing other people living there, Mckechnie was arrested, he said.

The items stolen from the vehicles were not recovered, White said, but were disposed of the day before.

Mckechnie was taken to Franklin County jail in Farmington and held on the probation violation, White said. She is currently on probation for a prior conviction of criminal threatening, Sgt. Charles Keene said Tuesday night.

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