St. Paul Woman Accused of Stealing Purses from Burnsville Church

A Twin Cities woman stands accused of pilfering purses from cars parked at churches in Dakota and Ramsey Counties.

Merissa Kay Reddig, a 20-year-old from St. Paul, faces one charge of financial transaction card fraud, a felony carrying up to 10 years or prison time and a $20,000 fine.

On May 19, the Burnsville Police Department received report of a vehicle break-in at a church in Burnsville. According to the criminal complaint, the victim's purse was taken, along with her wallet and credit cards. The missing credit cards were then used at Burnsville's Walmart and Target. The next day, the BPD was called to the same church for another break-in using the same modus operandi. Once again, the victim's credit cards were used at local shops.

Over the course of the investigation, detectives learned of a a similar theft at a church parking lot in Ramsey County.

With the aid of surveillance footage, the BPD identified the suspect as Reddig. Police say the identity of the suspect on tape was confirmed by Reddig's relatives, who allegedly said "Yep, that's our Missy" when shown images from surveillance cameras. 

The total loss to the three victims exceeded $2,500.

Reddig has been released from the Dakota County Jail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 15. In the meantime, the courts have barred her from trespassing on church-owned property, unless she is attending a religious service.