Marlton, NJ – A brazen daylight robbery at a Sunglass Hut in Evesham Township ended with an employee sprayed with bear repellent and more than $10,000 worth of luxury eyewear stolen, police said.
Officers were called to the store on South Route 73 around 12:43 p.m. Monday after two women entered wearing hats and face coverings and began swiping sunglasses from display racks. When a young employee tried to call for help, one of the suspects blasted her in the face with bear spray before fleeing.
Detectives determined the thieves made off with between 18 and 20 pairs of high-value sunglasses. Evidence collected on the scene led investigators to identify one suspect as Allesha Taylor-Jones, 29, of Delaware.
Evesham police worked with Delaware State Police to track her down, and she was arrested and found carrying evidence linking her to the robbery. Taylor-Jones is being held in Delaware awaiting extradition to New Jersey, where she faces charges including first-degree robbery, aggravated assault, weapons offenses, and theft.
The second suspect has not yet been identified, and investigators are urging anyone with information to contact Evesham police.
The bear spray attack left more than eyewear missing from the shelves—it left a community on alert.
