From STAFF REPORTS

CORDELE — A 33-year-old Belk’s employee has been charged with felony theft by shopifting after allegedly selling $338.99 worth of merchandise for less than a dollar to a couple of friends for her own benefit.

City police records show Cpl. Christina Martinez responded to the 16th Ave. E. department store shortly after 1:30 p.m. Thursday when management there said they were detaining the suspect in the office.

Upon the officer’s arrival, the store manager told Tamekia Monek Appling, of 714 Richardson St., that she was being terminated and would not be allowed back in the business.

After being taken to the police station, Appling reportedly told the investigating officer she was working the cash register when she only rang up the 74-cent pair of panties she placed into a bag with six bras, two jackets, a pajama shirt and two pajama pants.

No charges have as yet been made against the two women who then took from the store all the items that have since been recovered . With the exception of one of the jackets, the other clothing is resalable.

In another unusual case police were asked to investigate Thursday, a 13-year-old Crisp County Middle School student is accused of spitting into a teacher’s cup of tea and allowing her to drink it.

The offender told Cpl. Deidra Davis that two other students encouraged him to do so. The victim also advised the officers that a week earlier the same student had put hand sanitizer in her cup but she did not drink the liquid after smelling it.

The teen-ager has been charged with simple battery and the case has been turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.