Wallets Stolen by Customers at East Brunswick Store, Police Report

East Brunswick, NJ - A pair of thieves distracted two employees at the Best Tile shop in East Brunswick last Friday by pretending to inquire about a tile purchase, and then stole the employees' wallets out of their handbags, police said.

The handbags were being kept behind the counter, hidden from view, a store employee told Patch. On Friday afternoon, June 18, a woman, later identified as Deisha Bennett, 30, of Brooklyn, entered and asked the employees for help in the corner of the Rt. 18 store, police said. While the two employees were helping her, a second suspect, a man, Travis Haynes, 27, also of Brooklyn, entered, went behind the counter and stole their wallets, police said.

The pair left and the employees called police, realizing their wallets were gone. After driving off in a silver Ford with Texas plates, the man and woman went on a spending spree at Best Buy and the Target on Ryders Lane in Milltown, officials said. Milltown police stopped Haynes and Bennett exiting Target, and they fled on foot after being stopped, towards the Brunswick Grove on Milltown Road. Milltown police apprehended both and took them into custody. The credit cards belonging to both East Brunswick victims were found on both suspects, police said.

Interestingly, while responding to the Best Buy to try and find the suspects, East Brunswick detectives found two more people trying to fraudulently use credit cards in that store, as well, they said. Kwane Dower, 31, and Jeffrey Hunt, 23, both of Brooklyn were taken into custody. They were trying to purchase approximately $1,400 worth of merchandise each, officers said.