Police: Aurora mall employee's thefts total $16,000

A clothing store employee at an Aurora mall was arrested this week after employees discovered she had stolen roughly $16,000 worth of money, store items and gift cards, according to police.

Malina Phetchanpheng, 19, of the 2300 block of Pagosa Springs Drive, Aurora, was arrested at the store in the Westfield Fox Valley mall Tuesday and charged with felony theft, police said.

The 19-year-old pocketed roughly $9,200 in cash from store cash registers over a 2½-week spree that ended on Dec. 19, said Aurora Detective Sgt. Robb Wallers. Police searched Phetchanpheng's house and retrieved store property including clothing, merchandise and gift cards valued at approximately $7,000, according to police.

The store manager worked with loss prevention investigators after noticing cash drawer shortages throughout the month, Wallers said. Video surveillance caught Phetchanpheng on tape numerous times pulling from the registers, Wallers said.

At first the thefts started out small, but as time went on the cash amounts taken each day grew to large amounts before Phetchanpheng's arrest, Wallers said.

Phetchanpheng was also charged with a separate misdemeanor after stealing about $150 from a co-worker's locker, according to police.