NORTH ATTLEBORO -- Police allege a teenager pretended to clear empty soda cans for his elderly former neighbor before Column Wrapcleaning her out of $215 she saved to help pay for her husband's funeral expenses.

Anthony J. Dryden, 18, who used to do odd jobs for the 81year-old woman, allegedly talked his way into her Pleasant Street house by claiming to want to clean out empty soda cans and bottles from her basement.

While in the basement, Dry den, who was accompanied by a girlfriend, allegedly went upstairs to use the bathroom while his girlfriend stayed in the basement with the woman, police said.

The woman grew suspicious because Dryden remained upstairs for a long time. After he and the girl left the house, the woman noticed the money was missing and called police.

The incident occurred on Friday, but Dryden was not arrested until Monday night after he was located at 4 School St. in Plainville, where he now lives with his mother, police said. No other arrests were made, but the incident remains under investigation.

Before his arrest, North Attleboro police court prosecutor Christopher Ciccio alleged Dryden called the woman twice during the weekend about the missing money.

Ciccio said Dryden at first denied he stole the money and then promised in another call to pay her back, telling her not to report it to police.

Dryden pleaded innocent Tuesday in Attleboro District Court to larceny of less than $250 from a person over 60, which Ciccio said carries a maximum 10-year prison term, and two counts of witness intimidation.

`` He used to do odd jobs around the house for her. She befriended him and she trusted him,'' Ciccio said during a bail hearing in which he did not disclose the woman's name.

The experience has left the woman, whose husband died a week before the incident, fearful of the defendant, Ciccio said.

`` Regarding the victim,'' Ciccio told Judge Gregory L. Phillips, `` she is literally scared of the defendant. She is constantly looking out her windows.''

Because Dryden was already on probation for unrelated crimes, Phillips ordered him held in jail without bail, pending a probation violation hearing May 25.

Dryden is on probation in courts in Attleboro and Wrentham for vandalism, assault and battery and possession of marijuana, according to police and court officials.

Ciccio said Dryden has a long juvenile record, including crimes of violence, and has served time in state Department of Youth Services facilities. Phillips also agreed to a request by Ciccio to revoke the defendant's bail on previous cases and hold him without bail for up to 60 days pending trial.

Through his lawyer, Stephen Dalrymple, Dryden offered to change his innocent plea. But prosecutors said they could not agree to dispose of the case before a decision is reached on a possible indictment in the case.

Phillips rejected Dalrymple's request to allow his client to go free in his mother's custody.

The case was investigated by North Attleboro detectives Daniel Arrighi and Michael Elliott and Officer Kevin Mobley.