CLOSTER, N.J.—On Sept. 16 at 9:31 a.m., Patrolman Jorge Vela was stopped at the red traffic signal of Lewis Street and Closter Dock Road when he observed a vehicle with an unclear license plate improperly signal onto Perry Street.
Vela followed the vehicle south on Perry, observing the driver ash his cigarette out of the driver side window.
“I continued to follow the vehicle west onto Demarest Avenue and observed several indicators that are consistent with being involved in criminal activity,” Vela wrote.
A motor vehicle stop was conducted east of Columbus Drive. Prior to approaching the vehicle, the driver completely turned around with his head out the window and attempted to make conversation, saying, “How you doing?”
The driver told Vela he was heading to work. In plain view were numerous clothing items on the backseat with tags and no plastic bags or receipts within the area of the merchandise. There was a black case behind the driver’s seat. Vela asked the driver what he had purchased at Target, and he stated, “Just shirts and stuff, sir.”
Vela asked the driver if he had any receipts for the merchandise he had just purchased and he stated he threw it out. When asked, he said he had paid in cash.
“Based on the numerous shoplifting incidents that occur at the Target located within the Closter Plaza, my reasonable suspicion was raised because Mr. [redacted] had no receipt, changed his story of what he had purchased and what I observed on the rear seat,” Vela wrote.
Backup arrived and the driver was asked to step out of the car. He denied his consent for officers to search his car, and pleaded with Vela to go home. Vela said he would contact a K-9 narcotics unit to respond to the scene.
While waiting for the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department K-9, Patrolman Christopher Barbieri told Vela that the man had just admitted he was possession of two bags of “dope” (heroin) and that he had committed a theft from Target. Vela canceled the K-9 unit. The man voluntarily informed him that the heroin was located in the black case on the passenger floorboard and that he had just shoplifted from Target.
A search of the vehicle found: two wax folds, five syringes, one tweezer, matches, a prescription bottle cap with residue, an empty wax fold, two cotton swabs, a needle cap, a Goodfellow V-neck T-shirts pack, three Champions duo dry shirts, a black belt, and Goodfellow crew socks.
The man was arrested and taken to headquarters where he was charged with possession of heroin, possession of hypodermic syringe, and receiving stolen property. He was given a municipal court date and taken back to his vehicle without incident.
Target later provided surveillance video of the man shoplifting, and a property sheet including all the stolen items. The merchandise was returned without incident.