Theft in Thornbury floored victim

A Delaware man working for a flooring contractor is accused of conspiring with his wife to rip off a Thornbury Township resident, police said today.

Westtown-East Goshen police said the resident, who lives in the 700 block of East Street Road, called police Tuesday after discovering that assorted jewelry valued at $300 and a credit card had been taken between Feb. 11 and 19 and that the credit card had been used for unauthorized purchases in Delaware.

Detectives traveled to Delaware to obtain store surveillance video during times when the stolen credit card had been used to pay for merchandise that cost $83.41, police said. Detectives traced the purchases to Eric McBride, 36, of New Castle, De., and his wife, Jennifer McBride, 18, who has a Claymont, De. address. Det. William Cahill said Eric McBride had access to the inside of the home while working for a Wilmington-based flooring installation contractor.

Assisted by the New Castle County Police Department in Delaware, Westtown-East Goshen investigators took the McBrides into custody yesterday and charged them with criminal conspiracy, access device fraud, identity theft, theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property.  During their arraignment, bail was set at $7,500 unsecured for Eric McBride and $2,500 unsecured for Jennifer McBride. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 1. Police said the stolen jewelry has not been recovered.