A homeless woman has been charged with burglary after an officer found her inside a business early Wednesday morning.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by patrolman Matthew Bender of the Lehighton Borough Police Department:

At 6:04 a.m. May 15, Bender was dispatched to the 100 block of South Street for a motion alarm inside the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce.

The front door was unlocked and open, and Tarah Strausberger, 41, of Lehighton was inside.

Bender asked Strausberger what she was doing in the building and she said that she owned the building or almost owns the building.

Bender requested identification, which Strausberger could not produce. She handed him a cellphone, two zip drives (which were later identified as property of the Chamber), and a piece of paper telling him that she was planning a clothing drive and work with the Girl Scouts.

However, the paper had nothing to do with her or a clothing drive, purchasing the property or working with the Girl Scouts.

Bender also asked Strausberger for the pass code for the alarm system and she said no alarms went off and that she has no code.

Aware of Strausberger from prior incidents within the borough, Bender knew she was homeless.

She had been sleeping in an office inside the building.

It appeared Strausberger had been going through offices and the kitchen. A large fruit plate was sitting inside the sink and a canned beverage was sitting on the floor next to where she had been sleeping.

Representatives of the Chamber said the fruit tray was inside the refrigerator and had been full at close of business on May 14.

Strausberger faces charges of burglary, criminal trespass ; theft by unlawful taking; and receiving stolen property.

She is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail, and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing May 29 before District Judge Eric M. Schrantz of Jim Thorpe.