Off-Duty Springfield Cop Nabs 2 Alleged Wallet Thieves

SPRINGFIELD, NJ — An observant and quick thinking off-duty Springfield Police Officer helped nab two alleged wallet thieves on his way to work.

"Police officers have a higher responsibility to take action, even when they’re not working," Springfield Police Chief John Cook said. "It really is a 24/7 commitment, which is what we saw from our officer today… and it’s not the first time he solved a major case while off-duty."

On Tuesday, Officer Luis Brito was on his way to work when saw a person who matched the description of a man wanted in connection with multiple wallet thefts from office buildings in the township. (See Related: Man Wanted In Multiple Thefts Across Springfield)

The man was walking with another person along Morris Avenue and called police headquarters. Brito followed the two until backup arrived, police report.

An investigation by Detective Sgt. James Mirabile and Detective John Patrick found that another wallet theft, which had not yet been reported to police, occurred just before Brito saw the pair walking, police report.

Anthony Smith, 54, and Cynthia Smith, 49, both of Newark, were placed under arrest and charged with theft and trespassing for their crimes in Springfield, and additional charges in other jurisdictions are now pending.

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