Staten Island Man Tried To Steal From Woodbridge Walmart: Police

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A Staten Island man was arrested Saturday after police said he tried to steal a Vizio smart TV from the Woodbridge Walmart on Rt. 9 north. This was the second shoplifting arrest at the Woodbridge Walmart this weekend; a Toms River man was arrested Sunday, as well.

A store security officer called police after she said she watched both in person and on CCTV camera as the man walked up to the flat-screen TV section and used a screwdriver to cut open the box of a Vizio smart TV. He then carried the box up to customer service, where he told an employee the box was open because he was doing an exchange/return.

The man then proceeded to walk out of the Walmart before he was stopped by store security. John Gaugh, 58, of Laredo Avenue in Staten Island, was arrested at 3:25 p.m. Saturday and charged with shoplifting and possession of burglary tools.

Then on Sunday, Dec. 10 a Toms River man was stopped by store security after he tried to walk out of the Walmart with $1,770 worth of assorted electronic merchandise without paying. Again, store security said they watched on CCTV cameras as he loaded the small electronics into a plastic bin in a shopping cart and then tried to walk out.

Manuel Rivera, 46, of Toms River was arrested and charged with shoplifting at 3:44 p.m. Sunday.