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South Brunswick Twp Police Department
Wednesday January 25th, 2023 :: 09:35 a.m. EST

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Police Charge Two NY Men in $18,000 “Follow Out” Theft

South Brunswick Police Charge Two NY Men in $18,000 “Follow Out” Theft

South Brunswick Police Tuesday announced that two people have been charged with stealing jewelry and money and deflating a tire on the victim’s car. The crime took place on August 19, 2022, when the victim visited a jewelry store in Iselin, NJ. After leaving the store and traveling Route 27 the victim stopped at a pharmacy. Investigators believe two males inserted a tire-deflation device into the tire of the victim’s vehicle. The victim stopped in the parking lot of Dusal’s Italian Restaurant on Route 27 in Kendall Park to see why their tire was going flat. When the victim pulled over two males approached the victim under the guise of being “good Samaritans”, and offered to help with the tire. While one of the males feigned assistance, the other male went into the victim’s vehicle and stole a bag containing over $18,000 in jewelry from the passenger compartment. The suspect then quickly left the area.

Officer Brooke LaBell and Detective Monica Posteraro conducted the investigation and recovered excellent video from the parking lot of Dusal’s Italian Restaurant. The video gave clear images of the suspects as well as the vehicle they were using. LaBell and Posteraro worked with several other law enforcement agencies in tracking down the pattern of “follow-out tire deflation thefts”.  After nearly five months Officer LaBell developed enough evidence to charge Cristher Calderon-Losada, a 45-year-old male from Jackson Heights, NY, and Dario Jimenez-Castaneda, a 44-year-old male from Wantagh, NY with 3rd-degree Burglary, 3rd-degree Theft by Unlawful Taking, and 3rd-degree Conspiracy to Commit Burglary and Theft. Both men are free pending a preliminary hearing in the coming weeks.

South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka credited a team approach to solving this theft. “These victims had no idea the good Samaritan coming to assist was actually the criminal. This case was solved because detectives around the state coordinated intelligence to have these suspects arrested. I want to give special thanks to LaBell and Posteraro as well as Fairfield Police for all the work on this case,” said Hayducka.
 

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South Brunswick Twp Police Department
540 Ridge Rd
South Brunswick Township, NJ 08852

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