UPDATED: South Brunswick Woman Charged with Stealing Purse from Charity Fundraiser

A South Brunswick resident is facing charges of stealing a purse and credit cards from a volunteer at a charity fundraiser on Sunday.

Jessica Taylor, 20, was charged with with theft of credit cards for allegedly taking a purse that a volunteer left on a table and making a number of purchases with the credit cards.

Police said that Taylor was attending the Hugs for Brady Foundation pancake breakfast fundraiser at the South Brunswick Senior Center on Sunday, which sought to raise money for the foundation to assist in their goal of helping to find a cure for pediatric cancer.  The foundation is named in honor of Brady Wells, a 13-month-old township child who died of leukemia in 2010.

A volunteer who was serving food at the breakfast left her purse, which contained six credit cards, on a table. According to police, Taylor stole the purse then headed with a friend to the Oxford Valley Mall in Pennsylvania.

Police said that Taylor charged over $3,500 on the cards while purchasing clothes from Express, Macy's, Old Navy and Banana Republic. She also went out to eat at the Olive Garden and purchased gas for her vehicle, according to police. 

After being arrested, Taylor was released pending her first court appearance in South Brunswick. She and her friend also face additional charges in Pennsylvania for fraudulent use of credit cards.  Taylor's friend was not charged for the theft in South Brunswick.

Both Taylor and her friend are on probation in California for committing the same crime in that state, said police spokesman Sgt. James Ryan.  They were both staying with a relative in Kendall Park, he said.