By Jim Clark

A woman phoned Somerville Police last Friday morning to report that her purse had either been lost or stolen at some point in time the day before.

She reportedly told police that she thought she may have lost the purse while at J.P. Licks ice cream restaurant at Assembly Row.

Police phoned the restaurant and asked the manager to review the restaurant’s security video footage from the day before in order to determine whether or not the woman’s purse may have been left there.

The store manager reportedly told police that the woman was spotted on the video leaving her purse behind upon leaving the restaurant. It had been left hanging on a chair.

Additionally, the manager reportedly told police that one of the restaurant’s employees, Deaundre Price, was seen on the video removing the purse from the chair and taking it over to a nearby trash barrel.

According to reports, Price was observed on video placing the purse into a fresh trash bag as he changed the bag in the barrel, and then taking the bagged purse into the restroom.

The video further showed that Price then walked the bag containing the purse, along with a full bag of trash, out to the locked trash area of the restaurant, police said.

The victim’s bank records indicated that a number of purchases were made with one of her debit cards amounting to nearly $100 on the day that her purse came up missing, according to reports.

Officers were called in to examine the video footage and question Price in response to the victim’s report.

After viewing the video, police called Price into the manager’s office and the officers explained to him why they were there.

Price reportedly began to deny any involvement in the matter, but after he was reminded that the video evidence was readily available he indicated that he would not continue his denials.

After being advised of his rights, Price reportedly admitted that he took the purse and removed some cash, a wallet, IDs, credit/debit cards, and then threw the purse away in Jackson Square in Boston.

When asked whether he had used any of the missing credit or debit cards he reportedly told them that he hadn’t.

A search of Price’s locker in the restaurant turned up a small amount of marijuana inside a bag. Closer examination of the bag’s contents turned up a white DKNY purse. Price reportedly told officers, “Yea, that’s the stuff right there.”

The officers checked Price’s bag further for any more items belonging to the victim and found several credit/debit cards, the white purse, a U.S. passport, an Albanian passport, State of Massachusetts and Albanian drivers licenses, and some receipts.  The one card not found inside the bag was the debit card used for the reported purchases the day before.

Price was asked if his personal wallet could be checked for any more items and he reportedly agreed to it. The missing card in question was reportedly found inside Price’s wallet.

Price was placed under arrest and taken in for booking, charged with larceny from a building and improper use of a credit card.