Woman charged after allegedly threatening Penfield store owner last month

PENFIELD. N.Y. (WHEC) — The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged a Penfield woman Wednesday after she was allegedly caught on camera stealing and threatening employees inside a boutique in Penfield back in June.

News10NBC was able to obtain the criminal complaint.

Maureen Becker, 65, was charged with robbery in the first degree and grand larceny in the fourth degree. The complaint describes how Becker walked into the store and threatened employees with pepper spray, a lighter and lighter fluid, and it was all caught on camera.

News10NBC caught up with Eileen Wrona, who owns the Enchanted Rose Garden Boutique in Penfield and asked her how she feels about the news of the arrest.

"I think we are all doing much better, having someone held accountable makes all the difference,” Wrona said.

Wrona relived the scary moments her boutique on Penfield road was robbed back in June. She says Becker allegedly threatened her employees with a lighter and a bottle of lighter fluid. In security footage from inside the store, you can see the bottle of lighter fluid in Becker’s hand. According to the criminal complaint, Becker stole close to $2,000 in merchandise including cash from the register.

"Which mostly have been recovered and this is another line we carry and I would say about half of this was taken that day,” Wrona told News10NBC.

Wrona has owned Enchanted Rose Garden for almost two decades. She says she knew Becker previously when Becker had her own small business.

"We live just down the road from where her business was we spent several birthdays for my daughter when she was young at her business and it’s just really sad,” Wrona said.

Wrona said, when they found out it was someone they knew, it changed many things for them. They’ve since ramped up security in and around the store and even have pepper spray attached to their register, but in hopes that this never happens again.

"I just feel like how dare you do this to another business, another person you know us as neighbors you know most of Rochester as customers, why would you do that to someone else?” Wrona said.

It’s not clear if Becker will serve any time for the robbery. News10NBC has reached out to the police for more information.