The Bethlehem Township woman accused of stealing the baby Jesus from Bethlehem's Nativity scene was ordered Tuesday to pay $254.50 in fines and costs, according to court staff.

Jacqueline Ross, 50, of the 5200 block of Freemansburg Avenue, pleaded guilty before District Judge Roy Manwaring II to a non-traffic citation for defiant trespass.

She had faced a felony charge of theft, in addition to misdemeanor institutional vandalism, in the Dec. 4 incident, but both those charges were dropped in favor of the citation.

City police turned to the public in helping to identify the perpetrator. They circulated surveillance images that were determined to show Ross dropping off the statue, its leg and hand damaged, at St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem Township.

She also left a note referencing "parents Joseph and Mary Christ" that police described as making no sense.

Alleged baby Jesus thief: 'It was a joke, a prank'

A township police officer recognized Ross from the surveillance photos and caught up with her at her house, where she admitted to taking baby Jesus in what she called "a joke, a prank," according to police.

She was arraigned Dec. 15 and initially sent to Northampton County Prison, before being released on $30,000 unsecured bail Dec. 21.

Conditions of her bail included requiring that she undergo a mental health evaluation and follow any recommendations.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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