BUTLER TWP — A Butler woman is accused of stealing a collection jar with donations to help sick children, township police said.

Kristi K. Kiefer, 33, allegedly took the jar after she first tried to falsely return several T-shirts and jerseys she had taken from the Wal-Mart in Butler Commons on Sunday, according to court documents.

Township police on Monday charged Kiefer with misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property as well as possession of drug paraphernalia and a summary count of retail theft.

A Wal-Mart security officer called police about 8:45 p.m. after Kiefer tried to get away with the false returns of two T-shirts and two jerseys, documents said.

Customer service employees denied the would-be scam. Afterward, police said, the suspect snatched up the donation jar.

"Kiefer is on (store) video," a police affidavit said, "laying the shirts on top of the container and scooping up the container with the shirts."

The security officer later found the empty jar in the women's restroom.

The jar was to collect donations for the Children's Miracle Network. There was less than $50 in it.

The Children's Miracle Network is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children's hospitals around the country, according to the group's website.

Kiefer was caught before leaving the store. She told authorities their suspicions were "all a misunderstanding," the affidavit said."

She denied taking the donation jar even after authorities showed her the store surveillance video.

Police said a search of Kiefer turned up a suspected crack pipe in her jacket pocket.

Meanwhile, she was to be arraigned today in Butler County Court on forgery and theft-related charges stemming from an unrelated case.

In that case, Kiefer is accused of using a stolen bank debit card July 10 to buy items at a city convenience store, according to Butler police.