WASHINGTON TWP — A former waitress is accused of serving herself to thousands of dollars in receipts at the bar and restaurant where she used to work.

Alexa N. Dematteis, 21, of Marion Township stole about $16,000 during the two years she worked at the Beer Garden on Route 38 in Washington Township, authorities said.

State police Friday arrested Dematteis on felony charges of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft by deception.

Police said the business owner, Jamie Enscoe, discovered the alleged crime after becoming suspicious that the receipts collected Feb. 15 seemed “low with respect to the amount of food that had been prepared.”

Enscoe reviewed the restaurant’s point-of-sale system, according to court documents, and found that the defendant “had been altering the receipts of the customer bills that had used cash.”

An audit was conducted and uncovered the scope of Dematteis’ theft that investigators believe started immediately after she was hired in February 2014.

Enscoe on Aug. 24 notified police of the internal review and its findings. She told police that she had spoken to Dematteis, “who admitted to altering the receipts and taking the cash,” documents said.

The one-time employee apologized to her boss, police said, and promised to pay back the money.

“Enscoe showed (police) several text messages sent to her from Dematteis, documents said, “apologizing for taking the money.”

But the owner told investigators that despite her promise, the defendant had not repaid the stolen money.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton on Friday arraigned Dematteis on charges. She remains free on $30,000 unsecured bail.

A preliminary hearing at Stoughton’s office in Chicora is set for Sept. 20.