The incident happened in Lyndhurst on Wednesday, April 16, around 8:15 p.m., according to Detective Capt. Vincent Auteri of the Lyndhurst Police Department.
A loss prevention officer at TJ Maxx on Valley Brook Avenue observed two men removing anti-theft devices from merchandise and gave officers a description of one of the suspects — a Hispanic male wearing a black shirt and red hat, Auteri said.
Officers Michael D’Alessandro and Vincent DiNicola quickly located the man outside a nearby business in the 400 block of Valley Brook Avenue. The man initially gave police a false name and birth date but was later identified as Alexander Peguero, 32, of Bayonne, police said.
While officers were speaking with Peguero, Officer Robert Litterio noticed a woman acting suspiciously near a white Buick Encore parked nearby. The woman was identified as Tanya Prouflias, 55, of Jersey City, who admitted she had driven Peguero and another man to the store so they could shoplift, Auteri said.
Officers observed a glass pipe with burnt residue and a plastic bag with suspected cocaine in plain view inside the vehicle. Prouflias told officers the drugs belonged to Peguero, police said.
Both Prouflias and Peguero were arrested.
A search of the vehicle revealed six Michael Kors handbags, along with a pair of Puma sneakers and a pair of Reebok sneakers, all with TJ Maxx tags and anti-theft devices still attached, according to police. The total value of the merchandise was $859.93, police said.
Officers also found a Visa debit card on Peguero that had a different name, Auteri said.
A third suspect, described as a white or Hispanic male wearing all black with a red hood, fled the scene before officers arrived and remains at large, police said.
Prouflias was charged with:
- Theft (3rd degree)
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Conspiracy to Commit Shoplifting (3rd degree)
Peguero was charged with:
- Hindering Apprehension (4th degree)
- Conspiracy to Commit Shoplifting (3rd degree)
Both were remanded to the Bergen County Jail, and the Buick Encore was impounded as part of the ongoing investigation, Auteri said.
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