Police: JFK cleaner stole 1,429 mini booze bottles from airplanes

A contract worker tasked with cleaning commercial passenger planes at New York JFK has been arrested and fired on charges that she took nearly $15,000 worth of items the aircraft she serviced.

The Associated Press reports the woman was arraigned on Friday on charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. On Saturday, AirServ – the aircraft cleaning and ground services firm that had been her employer – confirmed she had been fired.

A police spokesman for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – the agency that runs the three big New York City airports – says the case got started after a witness tipped off American Airlines security officials that the 48-year-old woman was stealing property from planes at New York's JFK Airport.

Authorities say they then interviewed the suspect and searched her apartment. They say they found 1,429 mini-bottles of unopened liquor, seven iPads, two laptops, 19 Kindle tablets and a "large amount" of various toiletries, the New York Daily News reports.

The woman's thefts appear to have spanned three years, authorities tell CNN. As for the more-than-1,400 mini-bottles of booze, the New York Post -- citing unnamed police sources – writes: "She wasn't selling the bottles but appeared to be hoarding them."

"The defendant was a contract employee at Kennedy Airport, who was entrusted with cleaning planes. In addition, however, to tidying up the aircraft the defendant allegedly helped herself to the mini bottles of alcohol on board," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement to CBS New York.

If convicted, ABC 7 of New York says the woman faces up to seven years in prison.