3 juveniles, 2 adults charged for allegedly stealing more than $20K in merchandise from Morris County Ulta Beauty store
HANOVER TOWNSHIP, NJ (Morris County) – Three juveniles and two adults were charged Thursday after police said they stole more than $20K in merchandise from an Ulta Beauty store in Hanover Township.
Due to multiple thefts occurring in recent weeks at the Ulta Beauty Store in Cedar Knolls and around the state, a Hanover Township detective conducted surveillance on Feb. 23 when he observed a vehicle containing multiple individuals driving suspiciously through the parking lot approximately 15 minutes prior to the store closing, police said.
The vehicle backed into a parking spot close to the store and was left running with its headlights on. Several of the occupants exited the vehicle and entered the store carrying large bags, police said.
The detective radioed in the registration to dispatch and approximately a minute later, the individuals came running out of the store towards their parked running vehicle carrying bags stuffed with stolen merchandise, police said.
The detective exited his vehicle, identified himself as a police officer and ordered the suspects to stop running and to put their hands up. The suspects ignored his ordered, entered the vehicle and accelerated forward causing the detective to jump out of the way of the vehicle, police said.
The detective broadcasted the description and direction the vehicle fled. Soon after his broadcast, an officer located the vehicle on Hanover Avenue and was attempting to stop the car. The vehicle refused to stop for the officer with police vehicle’s lights and sirens activated, police said.
The vehicle continued on Hanover Avenue until the driver lost control and crashed on Burnham Road in Morris Township, police said.
All five occupants fled the crash scene and a foot pursuit commenced. The officer was able to chase and immediately apprehend three of the five suspects when they got tangled in a large bush, police said.
The other two suspects were eventually captured walking on Hanover Avenue covered in mud, police said.
Three of the five suspects were juveniles, two females and one male, were each charged with shoplifting, conspiracy to commit shoplifting, obstruction, and resisting arrest, police said.
Police later learned that the male juvenile was wanted for stealing over $200,000 worth of merchandise from 25 other thefts from Ulta Beauty stores throughout the state, police said.
The juveniles were transported to the Morris County youth detention center pending their court dates.
Jade Lindsey, 25, from New York, NY was charged with shoplifting, conspiracy to commit shoplifting, obstruction, resisting arrest and employing a juvenile to commit a crime.
Catherine Sanoja, 19, from New York, NY was charged with shoplifting, conspiracy to commit shoplifting, eluding, resisting arrest, aggravated assault on law enforcement officer, obstruction and employing a juvenile to commit a crime.
Both were lodged in the county jail pending their court dates.
Multiple bags of merchandise from the Cedar Knolls Ulta Beauty store were recovered from the vehicle valued at over $20,000 with several other bags were recovered with unknown value from other locations, police said.
No injuries were reported during this incident, police said.
