Church thief fights drugs and stays free
A Manoa woman who admitted she stole purses from people attending services at Honolulu churches to feed her crystal methamphetamine addiction was sentenced yesterday to a year in prison.
But Kellyn Cabral, 23, will not spend any more time behind bars. Circuit Judge Richard Pollack suspended six months of the sentence and credited Cabral with the six months she had already been in custody, said Myles Breiner, Cabral's lawyer.
Cabral also was placed on five years' probation and must pay $522 in restitution.
Cabral pleaded guilty on July 30 to theft, robbery and two counts of burglary.
Pollack acknowledged that Cabral committed the crimes during a 72-hour period she was high on crystal methamphetamine, also known as "ice."
She is a first-time offender, took responsibility for her actions and has completed the inpatient portion of drug treatment at Salvation Army Addiction Treatment Services, Breiner said.
Cabral is now in the residential portion of her drug treatment while living in a clean and sober house, Breiner said.
In late February, prosecutors said Cabral broke into the preschool at St. Francis School in Manoa and was found rummaging through papers. Police had said she was a suspect in thefts at several East Honolulu churches in which they did not make any arrests.
However, on March 2 she pretended to deliver flowers during a funeral service at Makiki Christian Church on Pensacola Street, then went into one of the classrooms and stole the handbag of someone attending the funeral. The following day, Cabral stole a purse at St. Pius X Catholic church in Manoa from a woman who had left it behind to take Communion.