Shoplifting gone wrong in Mahwah NJ turns into Robbery charges for 3 New York residents

It is alleged that three New York residents robbed a Mahwah New Jersey supermarket of almost $3,000 worth of baby formula Wednesday night. After the robbery, the defendants then lead the Mahwah police department and several other departments on a wild police chase in their attempt to elude capture. Initial reports indicate that two men attempted to walk out of the A&P store in Mahwah New Jersey with a shopping cart filled with approximately $3,000 worth of baby formula. When a store employee confronted the two individuals in the parking lot, one of the men struck the employee several times before pushing him to the ground. A police chase ensued until the defendants crashed their getaway car near the Ho-Ho-Kus exit. At this point the police were able to capture one of the defendants, while the other two took off on foot.  Apparently, with help from several Ridgewood, Waldwick, and Ho-Ho-Kus police officers, the Mahwah police department was able to successfully capture the other two defendants.

The driver of the vehicle has been charged with eluding, shoplifting and aggravated assault. The two defendants who entered the store have been charged with robbery, shoplifting and aggravated assault as well. The defendants will most likely be charged with robbery in the second degree, since it appears that no weapon was used. A second degree felony is punishable by up to ten years in a New Jersey State Prison and to make matters worse, this offense is subject to the No Early Release Act, which would require the defendants to serve at least 85% of their sentence before they could become eligible for parole.

The Law Offices of Marshall, Bonus, Proetta & Oliveris an experienced Bergen County Criminal Defense Firm. We have over 100 years of combined experience on staff, including over twenty-five years of prior prosecuting experience. If you or someone you know has been charged with a criminal offense like shoplifting, cocaine possession, carjacking, arson or criminal mischief, we can help. Please contact any one of our Bergen County offices at 1-800-682-4037 for a free initial consultation with any one of our eight criminal defense attorneys on staff.