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(HOUSTON, TX) - The woman who was caught on video red-handed stealing in church, has been brought back to Harris County to face retribution for her sins after having fled to Florida since the video went viral in 2011.

Cynthia Gonzales, also known as Cynthia Martinez, was in custody at the Gadsden Correctional Facility in Quincy, Florida but was transferred back to Harris County on her five local felony charges, which include credit card abuse, forgery, and tampering with a governmental record.

In June 2011, investigators with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Burglary and Theft Unit said Martinez stole a wallet from a woman’s purse during a Catholic mass after the woman got up from her pew to receive communion.

Gonzalez then used the victim’s checks to make a $399.29 purchase at Sam’s Club.

Martinez’s ‘sticky fingers’ action was caught on the church’s surveillance video.

You can see the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBFSaz9dKXI

HCSO investigators said this was a frequent practice for Gonzalez as she’s ‘prayed’ on parishioners at several area churches. Gonzalez has a history of financial crimes in Harris County and Galveston County dating as far back as 1991.

Following her acts of thievery, Gonzalez fled Harris County and was apprehended by Florida police on unrelated charges in September 2011.

Martinez appeared in Harris County’s 174th Criminal District Court today.

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