Woman arrested with $6,000 worth of stolen coins in baby stroller, police say

Officers said they approached the woman to "check her welfare."

September 22, 2019, 4:07 PM

Police in Southern California said they were concerned when they saw a woman struggling to push her baby in a stroller, but they got a heck of a surprise when they went to check on her.

Officers in Bakersfield, California, just north of Los Angeles, said they approached the woman to "check her welfare" but they quickly realized that is wasn't a baby she was struggling with. She was actually totting thousands of dollars in stolen coins from a recent home invasion, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.

The woman, identified by police as 29-year-old Darrin Fritz, allegedly had $6,000 in stolen quarters stuffed inside of clear plastic bags and hidden inside the stroller. She allegedly tried to flee when the officers approached her.

PHOTO:  Darrin Fritz was arrested in Bakersfield, California, on Friday, September 20, 2019, for allegedly stealing $6,000 worth of coins.
Darrin Fritz was arrested in Bakersfield, California, on Friday, September 20, 2019, for allegedly stealing $6,000 worth of coins.
Bakersfield Police Department

Police shared images from the scene via Twitter on Friday, showing the stolen coins, which they alleged she acquired in a burglary.

"Two BPD detectives saw a woman struggling to push a baby stroller," the department said in a tweet Friday. "They went to check her welfare and discovered the stroller didn’t contain a child… but instead held over 6K in coins taken in a burglary."

Fritz was arrested on burglary in the first degree, a felony, as well as other charges, including obstructing the peace and possession of a controlled substance, court records show.

She was being held on $65,000 bail as of Sunday afternoon and was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

It's unclear if Fritz has retained an attorney.