Alleged thief at this year's Cattle Festival Beauty Pageant

Normally, the Cattle Festival Beauty Pageant goes off without any problems.
That was not the case at this year’s beauty pageant.
Saturday afternoon during the festival’s pageant in Abbeville High School’s auditorium, it was learned that Casie Bennett allegedly walked into the dressing rooms where contestants changed and stole their personal belonging, which totalled $3,000.
Bennett is from Maurice.
The band rooms were used as dressing rooms that day.
Taken were wallets, cell phones, cash, checks and credit cards.
Bennette is believed to have walked through the band room doors, which is right next to the auditorium entrance, and walked down the band room hall and saw the purses alone.
A contestant, who first noticed her items missing, allegedly saw Bennett walking down the band room hall before going on stage.
Bennett later turned herself in to the police at 10:30 that same night. Police said all missing property has been recovered.
The suspect was charged with felony theft. Her bond was set at $2500. The investigation is ongoing.
According to one pageant contestant, she found her stolen items on her porch at her house that same night. The contestant, who did not want to release her name, thanked the Abbeville police for acting swiftly.
Before anyone left the auditorium, the police wrote down their name and home address.
It was believed Bennett had left Abbeville High by then. She was there with a friend to watch the pageant.
Cattle Festival President Francis Plaisance was not happy with what occurred, because there were so many visitors and visiting queens at the pageant. He said the Cattle Festival is expected to press charges against whoever is arrested.
The baby pageant took place Sunday without any incident, Plaisance said.
He said security may be needed in front of the dressing room doors for next year’s pageant.