While a Manheim Township man was serving his country in England, his father used credit cards in the soldier's name to make purchases totaling $4,784, police said.

On Tuesday, township police announced that the father, Raymond A. Wall 51, of Timber Drive, Mountville, has been charged with one count of identity theft.

In December 2006, Robert Wall, of Manheim Township, informed police that his identity had been used to open numerous credit accounts, Sgt. Thomas Rudzinski said.

Robert Wall was overseas on active military duty at that time.

"It was discovered that Robert's father had opened eight separate accounts using his son's identity, beginning in April 2004 and had accumulated an outstanding debt of $4,784 since that time," said Rudzinski.

Detective John Wettlaufer charged Raymond Wall on Tuesday. The father remains free, and will be arraigned before Magisterial Court Judge David Miller, who will set a hearing date.

Two Lancaster County women also were the apparent victims of identity theft or access-device fraud.

Jessica Butler, 19, of Lauschtown Road, Denver, told Ephrata state police that she found unauthorized transactions on her February bank statement. The total loss was $254.21.

Debra Ann Thomas, 53, of Queen Road, Gordonville, told Lancaster state police that someone used her credit card to make fraudulent purchases during the past 10 days.

In other recent theft cases:

• Lancaster police said Sheree L. Rudolph, 53, of 90 Tia Circle, Mount Joy, left Boscov's store at Park City shopping center on Friday afternoon without paying for items, and she had jewelry and perfume items valued at more than $2,000 in her possession.

Officer David Kaminski charged Rudolph with retail theft and theft by unlawful taking. She has three previous convictions for retail theft, police said.

• Ephrata police said Kelly R. Fryberger, 26, Ephrata, who has three previous arrests for retail theft, was arrested for the same offenses at 6:15 p.m. Saturday at the Wal-Mart store, 800 E. Main St., Ephrata.

Police said Fryberger left the store without paying for numerous items. She used a bail bondsman to post $15,000 bail on the charge, police said.

At the Ephrata-area Kmart store, police arrested two girls, ages 16 and 17, for retail theft at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The girls tried to steal several miscellaneous items from the 1127 S. State St. store, police said. Both were cited and released to their parents.

• Security officers at the Wal-Mart store, 2034 Lincoln Highway East, detained Jerybet Torres-Rivera, 27, of 455 S. Queen St., and Jessica Torres-Rivera, 25, of 1437 Manor House Lane, Friday afternoon after the pair allegedly failed to pay for about $170 worth of clothing items that they took off racks and placed in plastic bags. Both are being charged with misdemeanor retail theft, East Lampeter Township police said.

• Lancaster police arrested Joshua L. Booher, 25, of Hustontown, Fulton County, for suspected retail theft from a Monday afternoon incident at the Home Depot store at Red Rose Commons on Fruitville Pike. Booher was observed tasking a $149 grill out of the store, police said.

CONTACT US: jhoober@LNPnews.com or 481-6027