Girl Scout leader chased suspects in cookie caper

Kayla Lonergan

Pierre Thibault

ROCHESTER - Girl Scout leader Michele Elafson wasn't going to let some cookie money thief get away with her troop's dough, at least not without a fight.

So when Pierre Thibault, 20, of 127 Winter St., Haverhill, Mass., allegedly grabbed the money box from where the Scouts were selling the sweet confections in front of Walgreen's on Friday, she gave chase after he jumped in a green Toyota that sped off onto Winter Street.

In a police affidavit, Elafson told of how she chased the car allegedly driven by 19-year-old Kayla Lonergan, of Common Street, Rochester, as it tried to lose her by crisscrossing a number of side streets in the area until Lonergan made one too many turns, ending up on a dead-end road.

That's when Elafson positioned her car attempting to block the suspects' car from leaving and called police.

Somehow, however, Lonergan, allegedly maneuvered past Elafson's vehicle and made yet another escape, later ditching the car near Winter Street and Adams where she, Thibault and another man allegedly fled on foot.

Thanks to her pursuit and perseverance, however, police were able to locate the vehicle and catch up with the suspects, who had been stopped earlier in the day by police. During that earlier stop Lonergan was arrested for driving after suspension and bailed.

Lonergan, arrested on Sunday, was back in court on Monday facing more charges from Friday's second "brush with the law" during a video arraignment. Charges read included misdemeanor level contempt of court for violating the conditions of her release from Friday's prior arrest, violation level driving after suspension and misdemeanor level criminal liability for the conduct of another.

Rochester District Court Judge Susan Ashley kept Lonergan's $7,500 cash bail intact with a June trial date.

Lonergan had pleaded for a lower bail and said she'd be willing to wear a GPS bracelet, adding, "I'm committed to better myself," but prosecutors said her brazen actions of Friday when she drove the getaway car hours after being bailed for OAS showed a lack of responsibility for her actions.

Lonergan faces a year in jail on the bail violation charge.

Prosecutors noted two previous theft convictions in 2014 and a 30-day suspended sentence hanging over her from previous charges.

Thibault, meanwhile, remains at large. Rochester Police Captain Gary Boudreau said an arrest warrant has been filed within New Hampshire, but as of yet not Massachusetts, where Thibault lives and may well be.

The amount of cash in the cookie money box has not been disclosed, though WMUR reported that some of it fell out as Thibault allegedly grabbed it from the table in front of Walgreen's.

The third person in the car was not charged, because police could not prove he committed any crime, Boudreau said.