NASSAU- A man told a magistrate that he stole to pay for an abortion.
Karon Wallace, 19, made the surprising admission at his arraignment.
Police arrested Wallace after a woman reported that someone stole her pouch from car parts store on East Street South.
Wallace worked at the store.
The pouch contained an Internet box, two cellphones, and $50, with a combined value of $745.
After stealing the pouch on July 30, Wallace hid it in bushes, the court heard.
However, it was missing when he returned to his stash spot.
Wallace pleaded guilty to stealing when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt.
Addressing the court, Wallace said he had made a mistake.
Wallace said that his girlfriend told him she was pregnant and “needed money to get rid of it.”
In passing sentence, Ferguson-Pratt noticed that Wallace’s girlfriend was conspicuously absent, although he committed a crime for her benefit.
Since Wallace had no previous convictions, the magistrate gave him a second chance.
Wallace will receive an absolute discharge if he stays out of trouble while on probation.
