By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store at Assembly Row on reports of a shoplifter in the store.

Upon arrival, the female suspect had just fled with perfume and a journal totaling $147, according to the store’s manager. The officers checked the area but could not locate the suspect.

Assembly Row security cameras reportedly captured the suspect entering the Alloy apartments, and then Saks Off Fifth Avenue, but visual contact was eventually lost in a blind spot.

Sometime later, officers were dispatched to TJ Maxx for an unwanted female. Upon arrival, the officers recognized the female to be the same suspect from Polo.

The woman was identified as Shea Morton, of Cambridge, someone who is reportedly well known to the Somerville Police Department for wallet and purse thefts.

The officers informed Morton that she was being placed under arrest for shoplifting from Polo earlier that day.

Police searched her bag and handbag for evidence of the shoplifting, and three wallets were located. One wallet contained identifying information with Morton’s name on it. Another wallet was located containing identifying information for a someone from Medford. The third wallet contained identifying information for someone from Watertown.

Watertown Police was able to provide the officers with a home phone number of the owner of the wallet. An officer spoke with the owner’s daughter who stated her mother’s wallet was stolen or lost in Kmart. Her son-in-law was currently searching the Assembly Row area for the wallet before coming to the police station to file a report. The officer informed her the wallet was now in the possession of the Somerville Police, and a family member responded to recover it.

Morton reportedly stated that she found the items in a cloth bag on the side of the road yesterday in Central Square.  She also stated that she removed all the contents of the wallet and transferred it to her own wallet.

According to reports, Morton stated that she had no intention of notifying the police of the found property. Also located in her property was a pair of white Adidas sneakers. These distinct sneakers were reportedly observed on video in Polo being carried by Morton before and after the shoplifting.

Morton was subsequently taken into custody and charged with receiving stolen property under $1200 and shoplifting by concealing merchandise. She was additionally booked on a warrant charge of refusal to provide DNA database sample.