North Huntingdon pair accused of stealing purse, going on shopping spree

Two North Huntingdon residents were arrested Tuesday, charged with stealing an 82-year-old woman’s purse last month and going on a three-day shopping spree that racked up more than $5,800 in credit card charges.

Laura M. Dick, 45, and Michael M. Kominsky, 29, are charged with multiple counts of identity theft, access device fraud, criminal trespass and receiving stolen property in connection with the theft and shopping spree that began March 31.

North Huntingdon police Officer Daniel Foster said the victim didn’t discover her purse and four credit cards were missing until April 1, one day after she returned home from a shopping trip to a nearby Walmart and set down her purse as she entered her home. Foster said in court documents the victim told investigators that the last “non-family” member to visit her home was Dick, who the victim claimed frequently “comes over to borrow money.”

Before the credit card companies were notified, Foster alleges that Dick, Kominsky and two of their friends made multiple purchases on the victim’s accounts totalling $5,869 at Walmart, Giant Eagle, Marathon Gas, Dollar General and Sheetz in North Huntingdon and Sam’s Club in Hempfield Township.

When township police recently pulled over a Ford Taurus matching the description of a car the suspects were using when they made purchases with the stolen cards, Dick and Kominsky’s two friends were in the car. They said Dick and Kominsky provided the stolen credit cards and told police they would be willing to testify against them.

Foster said one of the friends told him Dick “informed him March 31 that she had a credit card he could use to pay him back for a water bill that he paid for Laura Dick in the past,” court documents said.

They also told police that Kominsky went to Walmart to purchase multiple gift cards on the stolen credit cards, court documents said.

Foster said police obtained security video from Walmart that shows Kominsky made several transactions at the store.

Dick and Kominsky were arraigned in night court before Jeannette District Judge Joseph Demarchis and released on $50,000 unsecured bond pending preliminary hearings May 22 before North Huntingdon District Judge Wayne Gongaware.

Neither Dick or Kominsky could be reached for comment. Neither has an attorney listed in online court records.