More than $11K worth of clothes stolen in NJ mall heists

🔴 Four women accused of shoplifting

🔴Police caught two of the thieves with booster bags and burglary tools

🔴 All suspects released on summonses

PARAMUS — Four women are accused of shoplifting at a North Jersey shopping mall on Monday.

ALSO READ: Fatal crashes involving senior drivers are on the rise, AAA says 

Organized retail theft operation exposed at Garden State Plaza

On Dec. 15, just before 2 p.m., officers from the Paramus Police Department noticed a white 2024 Nissan Rogue with South Carolina registration at the Westfield Garden State Plaza, containing two women who made multiple trips between the car and the mall, according to Chief of Police Robert M. Guidetti.

Police discovered that the women, later identified as Jenai D. Crawford, 25, of Yonkers, and Shanique M. Roberts, 30, of Brooklyn, were allegedly involved in an organized retail theft operation across multiple stores.

What was stolen?

The duo is accused of stealing $9,144 worth of clothing from Lululemon, Alo Yoga, and Aritzia.

When the officers stopped the women, they found burglary tools often used to unlock anti-shoplifting devices, along with several bags, including foil-lined booster bags filled with stolen clothes, Guidetti said.

Crawford and Roberts were arrested and charged with organized retail theft and possession of burglary tools. They were released on complaint summonses with a court date set for Jan. 2, 2026 in Bergen County Superior Court.

Second incident hits the same mall within hours

Almost five hours later, Paramus police officers were again called to Garden State Plaza for another shoplifting incident.

Two other women, Quenisha N. Smith, 38, of the Bronx, and Tieneshia Myers, 39, of Englewood, were seen stealing multiple coats from the Aritzia store, which was hit in the first shoplifting attempt, then running out of the store, Guidetti said.

An officer saw the two women in the parking lot putting the shopping bags into a black Mercedes-Benz before re-entering the mall, Guidetti said.

What stores were hit?

Guidetti said two Paramus police officers approached the women as they returned to their car and attempted to load more merchandise. Stolen clothing from multiple retailers, including UGG, Alo Yoga, Zara, Nordstrom, Timberland, Aritzia, Express, and North Face, totaling $2,190, was recovered.

Smith and Myers were arrested and charged with receiving stolen property. Smith was additionally charged with possession of burglary tools. They were also released on summonses pending appearances in court.

Report a correction | Contact our newsroom