Lacey cops say shoplifter nabbed twice in 2 days

LACEY - Police arrested the same man twice in as many days after he allegedly went on a shoplifting spree up and down Route 9.

Police arrested 29-year-old Scott A. Montefusco of Berkeley on the afternoon of Sept. 19, then again on the afternoon of Sept. 20, both times on allegations of shoplifting, according to the township's police blotter. Police said he boosted items from T.J. Maxx, Kohl's, Staples and Home Depot and that he had empty heroin folds and a syringe on him during his first arrest.

Police first got a call for shoplifting from a Staples at 300 Route 9 in the Forked River section of town on Sept. 19 just before 3 p.m., police said. A store manager reported a white man "wearing a gray sweatshirt and carrying a black-and-gray duffel bag had concealed merchandise in an attempt to shoplift from the store," and ran away when employees approached him, police said.

A police officer found the man, whom they identified as Montefusco, walking south on Route 9, carrying $43.49 worth of pilfered Staples loot, police said. "Montefusco was found to be in possession of stolen merchandise from additional businesses, including $175 in merchandise from Kohl's, located at 304 Route 9 North in Forked River, and $16.99 in merchandise from T.J. Maxx, located at 344 Route 9 North in Forked River," according to the blotter.

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Montefusco also had four empty wax-paper heroin folds and a hypodermic needle, police said. Officers issued him three summonses for shoplifting and one each for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic syringe at police headquarters, then released him.

But not for long.

At roughly the same time the next day, police got another complaint of shoplifting, this time at a Home Depot next door to the Staples where Montefusco had allegedly shoplifted the day before, police said.

Officers arrested Montefusco again, this time with $204.88 of stolen merchandise, police said, issuing him another shoplifting summons before releasing him.

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Alex N. Gecan: 732-643-4043; agecan@gannettnj.com