Two people face shoplifting and other charges after they allegedly used foil-lined bags to steal nearly $17,000 worth of merchandise from a store at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Bergen County, police said.
Police were called to the mall on Route 17 South in Paramus on Friday around 7 p.m. for a report of two shoplifters fleeing in an SUV.
An officer who stopped the pair on a loop said he found a foil-lined bag filled with clothing inside the car.
“The bag was immediately recognized as a ‘booster bag,’ a device commonly used to defeat anti-store theft security systems,” said Paramus Police Chief Robert M. Guidetti.
Guidetti said the two were in possession of $16,785 worth of merchandise stolen from Alo Yoga and multiple other stores in the mall.
Guidetti said items being recycled include Alo leggings, Calvin Klein men’s shirts, Prada sunglasses, Victoria’s Secret perfume, Burberry clutches and wallets, Coach bags and Montblanc Boutique bags.
Tamara Charlot of Queens, New York, was charged with second-degree shoplifting, third-degree receiving stolen property and possession of a shoplifting device.
Charlotte is being held in the Bergen County Jail pending a court hearing. Attorney information was unavailable Monday.
Police said the 26-year-old male suspect was driving when the two were pulled over and was charged with possession of stolen property and possession of a shoplifting device.
Police said the man was released on his own recognizance.
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