Toms River, NJ – On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at approximately 1:20 PM multiple police units were dispatched to ULTA located at 1203 Hooper Avenue, for a reported theft in progress. The four suspects in question had fled the store on foot and entered a grey Mitsubishi with out-of-state license plates.
Officers searched the area and observed the vehicle in a parking lot a short distance from the original location. Four people matching the suspect’s description were standing outside of the vehicle. When Officer Paciulli approached the group, they fled the scene disobeying the officer’s commands to stop.
Dispatch was notified, and a number of additional units responded to the scene. A short distance from the initial stop, officers located and apprehended suspect Frank Greene, 22 of Bronx NY. Officers witnessed a male suspect enter a nearby home on Bay Avenue and located him in the basement of the residence.
He refused the officer’s commands to surrender and ran out through a rear door. Additional officers who were waiting outside took the 17-year old suspect from Bronx NY into custody.
Two female suspects, identified as Shaquana John, 24 of Brooklyn NY, and Sereniti Butler 20 of Bronx NY, were located in a wooded area near the scene. All four suspects were taken into custody within 24 minutes of the initial call.
In total, the list of proceeds, including a combination of cologne and security tags, was valued at approximately $9,221. Sereniti Butler was charged with Shoplifting, Contempt/Obstruction, and Burglary. Frank Greene and Shaquana John were charged with Shoplifting, and Contempt/Obstruction. The juvenile suspect was charged with Shoplifting and Burglary and released to his guardian. The three adult suspects are currently lodged in Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
This group may be involved in numerous other instances of this type in the tri-state area, and are currently being investigated by multiple agencies. Chief Mitch Little would like to commend our officers for their quick response and apprehensions, as well as, their dedication and professionalism during this incident.