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Shopping spree lands three in jail www.privateofficer.com
Salemnewsonline.com — Three men went on a shopping spree at the Northshore Mall that might have turned heads by the amount of merchandise involved.
But the only heads that turned were those of security guards, who said they watched the men stuff under their jackets bundles of clothes and electronics that ended up totaling $2,100.
Jayson C. Hebert, 35, of Everett; Richard T. Nolan, 26, of Somerville; and Ivan A. Caminero, 27, of Somerville were arrested Tuesday after Peabody police followed the trio in the car the suspects got in after leaving the Northshore Mall.
Before their arrest, the three allegedly went on a shoplifting spree at Gap, Lids, Finish Line, Express, Sears, Disney, RadioShack and Foot Locker.
“It’s something that does repeat itself, time to time,” police Capt. Dennis Bonaiuto said. “But over the last year or so, the stores have become more cognizant of these grabs of large quantities of merchandise.”
Bonaiuto said a security guard at Gap noticed the scheme when Hebert allegedly tried to walk away from the store with 13 polo shirts worth a total of $253.
But when Hebert noticed the security guard watching him, he allegedly dropped the shirts from underneath his jacket and left the store empty-handed. The security guard also said he noticed a man, later identified as Caminero, acting as the lookout. The two suspects appeared to be talking to each other on their cell phones inside the store, Bonaiuto said.
Bonaiuto said store security followed Hebert outside the mall to a parking lot, and the man walked over to a gray Acura, dropping clothing from his jacket into a white bag in the trunk.
The third man, Nolan, who was also at the car, then went back inside the mall with Hebert.
Detective Ralph Scopa responded to the mall and watched the same activity.
“People were coming back to the car and putting more clothes in the car,” Bonaiuto said.
The trio took so many clothes that they “appeared to gain weight when they walked out of the store,” Bonaiuto said. They also had a hard time keeping the clothes from falling from under their jackets, he added.
Scopa followed as the car left the mall, then soon pulled over the Acura.
Detective Eric Ricci and Patrolman D.J. Murphy responded to assist when all three suspects were taken into custody.
In addition to the merchandise in the trunk, police found $1,780 in cash.
Police charged each man receiving stolen property (more than $250). Hebert had an additional charge of larceny and possession of a burglary tool.
Bonaiuto credited the cooperative effort between Peabody police, Northshore Mall security and store security in making the arrest.
