Bloomfield New Jersey police are looking for a woman who allegedly stole $300 from a charity jar at a local deli.
The theft took place at the Hot Bagels Abroad & Deli on Broad Street in Bloomfield, NJ. The woman reportedly entered the deli sometime around 1 p.m. and approached the counter. She then placed an order.
While the woman waited for her order to be prepared, she allegedly used her jacket to conceal a charity jar on the counter. She then left the store and fled the area on foot.
The money in the charity jar was supposed to help victims of RETT syndrome, a rare postnatal neurological disorder. According to authorities, the jar had approximately $300 in coins and bills when the victim took it.
Bloomfield NJ detectives investigated the theft incident and managed to obtain surveillance video footage from the deli.
Police now believe that the same suspect is responsible for the theft of $20 from a tip jar at the Dragon Chinese restaurant on Vaux Hall Road in Union, NJ.
If police are able to identify and located the suspect, she would probably be subject to significant penalties. That’s because N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3 classifies theft of movable property valued at between $200 and $500 as a fourth degree felony. A conviction on fourth degree theft charges can result in a sentence of up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.
The Bloomfield Police Department has asked for the public’s help in finding the charity jar theft suspect. Anyone who has information about the suspect or the theft should contact Bloomfield detectives at 973-289-0531.
For additional information about this case, read NJ.com article entitled “Police Searching for Woman Who Stole $300 Charity Jar from Bloomfield Deli.”