Masked Men Steal $7,500 In Goods From East Brunswick Ulta: PD

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Four masked men were nabbed by police on Sunday after they fled a local Ulta with $7,500 in merchandise, police said. The men were apprehended after they led cops on a chase through town.

Around 3:45 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, the East Brunswick Police Department was notified of a Shoplifting in progress at Ulta Beauty on Route 18. It was reported that three masked men stole a large quantity of merchandise from the store and fled the scene in a black SUV driven by a fourth suspect, police said.

Officers found the vehicle traveling southbound on Route 18, where the suspects were seen discarding security tags from the vehicle, police said. Authorities attempted to take all four into custody on Main Street near Old Bridge Turnpike, but one of them fled on foot and was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit, police said.

Another attempted to flee the scene in the vehicle as Patrolman Sean Clayton tried to remove the keys from the ignition, fearing for the safety of the general public and his fellow officers, police said.

As Patrolman Clayton reached for the keys, the suspect placed the vehicle in drive and quickly accelerated, causing the passenger side door to close, effectively trapping Patrolman Clayton inside the fleeing vehicle along with another suspect in the back of the vehicle, police said.

The driver ignored Patrolman Clayton’s commands to stop and subsequently crashed into a brick wall on the corner of Main Street and Old Bridge Turnpike before striking a traffic signal causing it to fall, authorities said.

The remaining suspects were taken into custody without further incident. A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of around $7,500 of stolen merchandise and a loaded 9mm handgun, police said.

The vehicle also displayed a fictitious temporary registration tag belonging to a different vehicle, police said.

Arrested individuals and charges are:

• Alterik F. Loyal, 40, of Newark was processed and charged with Shoplifting, Resisting Arrest, and Hindering Apprehension (Destruction of Evidenced).
• Robert E. Hughes, 35, from East Orange, was processed and charged with Shoplifting.
• Frederick A. Barnes, 31 , from Louisville, KY was processed and charged with Shoplifting, Conspiracy, False Government Documents, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
• Ryan R. Hill, 21, from Bronx, was processed and charged with Robbery, Shoplifting, Kidnapping (2 counts), and Eluding.

All four were taken to Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center.

The incident is currently under investigation, which may result in additional charges, police said.

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