LINDEN — On Monday at 2:59 p.m. officers responded to the Kohl’s Department store, 1901 E. Edgar Rd., Linden, on a report of four shoplifters fleeing the store in a tan Ford Taurus.
Loss Prevention told police that a white female wearing a blond wig walked out of the store pushing a shopping cart with $492.00 of clothes in it while her three accomplices pushed another shopping cart in the checkout line as a diversion. All four, including a 15-year-old male from Elizabeth, then fled in the Taurus.
Several minutes later, the Taurus was observed by police parked in the Aviation Plaza shopping mall and three of the occupants walking into the Kicks USA store. Officers moved in and stopped the foursome while Kohl’s security arrived on the scene and identified the four shoplifters.
The clothes were recovered in the car, along with a blond wig, and a pair of scissors, which were apparently used to cut security tags off the clothes.
Irene V. Shenesky, 64, of Linden, was charged with conspiracy, shoplifting, employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime, and possession of burglary tools, with bail set at $40,000; Jasmine Branch, 27, of Elizabeth, was charged with conspiracy, shoplifting, and employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime, bail set at $32,500; Anthony S. Minter, 38, of Rahway, was charged with conspiracy, shoplifting, and employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime, bail set at $32,500.
The juvenile was released to his mother pending charges by the Juvenile Bureau. The Taurus, a rental vehicle, was impounded. The three adult defendants have a court date set for Feb. 24.