Amanda Morisette becomes 2nd Ware resident charged in theft of items from First Church of Monson intended for tornado victims

Amanda Morisette stated that she returned everything that was taken and is "truly sorry for what happened. I wish I could take it all back."

File photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanThe steeple of the First Church of Monson lies in ruins on the lawn of the church the day after three devastating tornadoes hit Western and Central Massachusetts.

PALMER - Another Ware resident has been charged in connection with taking items intended for tornado victims at the First Church of Monson.

Court records stated that Amanda Morisette, of 10 Morse Ave., denied charges of larceny over $250 by false pretenses and fraud, at her arraignment Monday in Palmer District Court before Judge Patricia T. Poehler.

Morisette, 24, was with Christine Lajewski, 47, of East Street, Ware, when they allegedly took the items from the church on June 5. Lajewski was arrested and denied the same charges at her arraignment on June 7.

The women brought Morisette's 2-year-old son with them when they went to the First Church, and took $700 to $800 worth of items, including baby products, stuffed animals, food and a freezer.

Like Lajewski, Morisette was released on her own recognizance, and ordered to stay away from Monson.

She and Lajewski, 47, will return to court next month for pretrial conferences. The charges were brought by Monson police, which had assistance from Ware police in the investigation.

According to court documents, Lajewski said she was a Monson tornado victim, so the volunteers there began helping her. Morisette said her son did not have shoes on, and the volunteers helped find him a pair.

Morisette said in her statement to police that was included in the court file that the volunteers "kept offering stuff and there was not really a way out." Morisette stated that she returned everything that was taken and is "truly sorry for what happened. I wish I could take it all back."

Morisette told police, "I kept telling her (Lajewski) that we were going to go to hell for this."

Morisette was summoned to court for the arraignment.

The Monson church is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.