dme court

A Butler woman accused of stealing several road barricades and around 50 “no parking” bags put on parking meters the night before Butler’s Cruise-A-Palooza waived her preliminary hearing Monday, July 6.

Butler officers were required to “repeatedly replace the missing bags” after they were stolen on three separate occasions on June 27, primarily in the area of West Cunningham Street.

Kristi Marie Erkens, 45, was charged June 28 with one misdemeanor count each of theft, disorderly conduct and drug paraphernalia possession in relation to the incident.

Police said a report was eventually made from someone who saw a woman stealing the materials and police later identified her as Erkens. Police said she was in possession of multiple “no parking” bags, a marijuana vaping device, a glass smoking pipe, a rubber inhalation hose and packing for a THC product.

Erkens was held in Butler County Prison on $5,000 bail but it was changed to nonmonetary when waiving her preliminary hearing.