Cafeteria Manager Suspected of Stealing Nearly $1,800 From Workplace

Police are looking for a former cafeteria manager accused of stealing nearly $1,800 from her workplace, according to charging documents filed Tuesday.

Officers started looking into the case April 16 when Aramark Food Services, located in the building, reported that an employee had stolen money from the company between April 10 and 16, Detective Renee Meuwissen wrote in the charging documents.

Police learned that 34-year-old Shala Marie Stadtfeld, a manager at the Aramark cafeteria, had failed to show up for work April 16. The head cook contacted a supervisor, who got permission to open the safe and get cash to open the register.

Stadtfeld had the safe key, and there was a spare key whose location was known only to three people—the head cook, the supervisor and Stadtfeld. But the cook and supervisor were unable to find the key.

After the head cook got permission to cut open the safe, he found that it appeared to be short of money and deposits. A subsequent audit of the safe showed that it was short $747.50 in cash and four deposits worth $1,011.10.

That same afternoon, Stadtfeld’s boyfriend called and said she’d been hospitalized and would be out from a week to 90 days, according to the charging documents. Stadtfeld called later and said she took home $300 in cash in order to make change for the register.

Stadtfeld—whose address is listed as Anderson, SC, in the charging documents—never returned to work or returned any of the missing money.

Prosecutors have charged her with felony theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. 

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