Police: Women Used Children To Shoplift

Two women were caught using children to shoplift from Sears in the Willowbrook Mall Saturday, authorities said.

Police went to the Willowbrook Mall at 7:30 p.m. on a report of two women shoplifters who used juveniles to allegedly take items from the store, Wayne police said.

Ana Manon-Almonte, 45, and Walteris Garcia, 38, were allegedly seen putting women’s clothing and shoes into a stroller and one of the juvenile female’s handbags, police said; a 16- and a 15-year-old were seen pushing the stroller and carrying the handbag out of the store.

The items were worth about $800, police said.

A 3-year-old boy was also with the group when the women were caught, authorities said. One of the juveniles is related to one of the adults and one of the adults is the 3-year-old’s mother, police said.

This is the latest incident where children were used to help adults steal items from the mall.

Three people allegedly shoplifted more than $1,500 worth of merchandise from Lord & Taylor by stuffing the items inside a baby stroller.

“We’re doing everything we can within the confines of the law to combat it, said Capt. Laurence Martin. “The problem is with the family obviously.”

The adults and juveniles were taken to Wayne Police Headquarters. Manon-Almonte and Garcia were charged with shoplifting and employing minors in a theft. The two juveniles were charged with shoplifting.

The state Division of Youth and Family Services was notified of the charges.

“We don’t turn a blind eye to it,” Martin said. “We realize the juveniles are being told what do.”

(Pictured: Walteris Garcia and Ana Manon-Almonte/Courtesy of the Wayne Police Department)