Even the judges can't wait to hear why a Greenbelt woman was charged with breaking into an Annapolis candy shop last month and filling her purse with fudge.
"I'd love to find out what is going on," District Court Judge J. James McKenna said yesterday before slashing the bond of 35-year-old Catherine Anne Delgado and ultimately letting her out of jail. "This is more than a little bizarre."
Police say Ms. Delgado broke into Uncle Bob's Fudge Kitchen, located inside A.L. Goodies at 112 Main Street, July 31 and stole $89 worth of fudge. She was arrested a short time later at the Maryland Inn, located at 16 Church Circle, after an officer noticed large bricks of unwrapped, unpacked chocolate in her purse. Police said she actually tried to flush the fudge down a toilet, but clogged it up in the process.
Surveillance footage shows Ms. Delgado breaking apart the store's Plexiglas display case, falling down, and eating cookies and fudge by the handful. Rocky Road was her favorite flavor, according to owner Bob Lawinger.
"It sounds like a saga," said Judge McKenna after reading part of the charging documents. "She's got a real hankering for fudge."
Since her arrest, Ms. Delgado has been held at the Jennifer Road Detention Center on $100,000 bond. Judge McKenna said yesterday that was too much - considering the facts of the case - and reduced her bond to $10,000.
"I'm underwhelmed," the judge told Assistant State's Attorney Carolynn Grammas. "Do you suspect she is part of a chocolate stealing ring or something?"
Ms. Grammas noted Ms. Delgado is charged with second-degree burglary, a felony, and has no ties to Maryland except a new boyfriend.
William L. Woodford, Ms Delgado's attorney, told the court her boyfriend was charged with beating his client last month. He said Ms. Delgado's right eye socket was fractured during the assault and that she was released from the hospital shortly before she was arrested.
"Unload that guy. Get rid of him," Judge McKenna told the accused. "You are too good for him."
Mr. Woodford explained Ms. Delgado moved to Maryland from Massachusetts in May after divorcing her husband. She has two children, 2 and 4 years old, living in Pennsylvania.
"A lot has happened in the last few months," Ms. Delgado told the judge.
While not wanting to try the case at the bond hearing, Mr. Woodford did give some insight into his client's mindset the night of the fudge incident.
"Clearly there was some alcohol involved," he told the judge.
Judge McKenna expressed some fears Ms. Delgado could skip town. But after reading the court documents and speaking to Ms. Delgado and her attorney, he decided to "take a chance" on her.
"You sound intelligent," he told the woman now famous for stuffing fudge in her purse. "The most stupid thing you could do is run."
LOL, "a real hankering for fudge." Hell who doesn't, between friends?