Concession money stolen at Barrington homecoming game

A Johnsburg woman faces a felony theft charge after police say she stole more than $300 cash from the concession stand during Barrington High School’s homecoming football game Saturday afternoon.

Police said Ann L. O’Connell, 48, of the 3200 block of Chellington Drive, claimed to be an alumnus of the high school and attended the game in the company of other Barrington-area residents.

At some point during the game, witnesses told police, O’Connell entered the concession stand under the pretense of being a parent helper.

“She just walked into the concession stand and said, ‘I’m here to volunteer,’” Barrington Detective Sgt. Kevin Croke said.

Witnesses reported that O’Connell was told to work near where the food was being prepared, but was later noticed hanging around closer to where money was being collected, police said.

According to witnesses, O’Connell was then seen to leave the concession stand and heading back to the stands in a rush, police said. She reportedly was spotted with a handful of cash which she then stuffed into a popcorn box she’d taken from the concession stand, according to police.

O’Connell was confronted by officers, who reportedly found $304 in cash in the popcorn box, police said.

Following her initial appearance at the Lake County courthouse in Waukegan, O’Connell was released on a $20,000 I-bond, which requires no upfront deposit of money.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 26. A Class 4 felony is punishable by a maximum one to three years in prison, though probation also is a sentencing option.