Habitual Pickpocket Arrested By West Windsor Police Department At Nassau Park Pavilion On November 3, 2020

Press release from the West Windsor Police Department:

November 5, 2020

WEST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT
20 Municipal Drive * P.O. Box 38
West Windsor, New Jersey 08550

ROBERT GAROFALO PhD(c), Chief of Police

(609) 799-1222
Records Fax (609) 799-6338 * Fax (609) 897-9010
DB Fax (609) 799-6515 * Dispatch Fax (609) 799-3516

PRESS INFORMATION


INCIDENTS: 2020-18542, 2020-22834, and 2020-24883 Pickpocket Wallet Thefts and Receiving Stolen Property Arrest

DATES OCCURRED: 8/26/2020, 10/9/2020 and 11/3/2020

LOCATION OCCURRED: Wegmans, 240 Nassau Park Boulevard **All (3) Incidents**

ACCUSED: Rodney T. Woods
Resident of Philadelphia

OTHERS INVOLVED: 1) Det. Sgt. Lai #470
2) Ptl. Mahon #64
3) Ptl. Cuomo #82
4) Det. W. Jones #84
5) Det. Barber #93


DETAILS: On 11/3/2020 at 1505 Hours, Dispatcher Quinn advised patrol units of a suspect actively trying to pickpocket victims inside the Wegmans at the Nassau Park Pavilion. Disp. Quinn gave a detailed description of the subject and his actions (believed to be the same suspect from similar incidents of preying on elderly persons). Loss Prevention attempted to stop the suspect before leaving the store. However, the suspect took off on foot towards TJ MAXX. Ptl. LaForge arrived on scene and located the suspect walking behind Walmart towards Home Depot. After hiding items in the bushes, the suspect took off and ran towards the front of the garden center at Walmart where he hid behind a corner. As Ptl. LaForge exited his marked patrol car, the suspect ran towards Nassau Park Boulevard. Ptl. LaForge shouted "POLICE" and to "STOP" multiple times and engaged in a short foot chase. The suspect stopped and was ultimately taken into custody without further incident.

A debit card was located in the suspect's possession. Ptl. Cuomo assisted Ptl. LaForge with the suspect, identified as Rodney T. Woods. Ptl. Mahon arrived on scene to continue a check of the area and located the wallet of one of Woods' victims in the bushes in front of the Burlington Coat Factory.

Further investigation by Det. W. Jones and Det. Barber revealed the following: Det. Barber was able to link Woods to (2) other pickpocketing incidents at Wegmans (8/26/2020 and 10/9/2020) while Det. W. Jones confirmed with an additional victim from Philadelphia, PA that her debit card and cash was taken from her earlier on 11/3/2020 at a Philadelphia supermarket. The Philadelphia victim's credit card was cancelled just prior to the actor attempting to fraudulently purchase thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. On all of these occasions, Woods preyed on elderly victims.


Woods was processed at WWPD for charges from 8/26/2020, 10/9/2020, and 11/3/2020. The victim of the Philadelphia, PA incident had already filed a report with Philadelphia PD for theft while the WWPD charged Woods with Receiving Stolen Property. After processing at the WWPD Headquarters, Woods was released ROR pending a future date at the Mercer County Superior Court.


REPORTING OFFICER: Ptl. LaForge #104 (*For 11/3/2020 Incident)

OFFICER PREPARING RELEASE: Det. Lt. Lee #359

DATE OF RELEASE: 11/5/2020

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This press release was produced by the West Windsor Police Department. The views expressed here are the author’s o...