Thieves Targeted Trader Joe's Shoppers In 2 States: Police

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — Darien, Connecticut police said they arrested two men who are accused of stealing a cell phone and wallet from a shopper at Trader Joe's. Police said they also found additional phones that were discovered stolen from other Trader Joe's stores right here in Westchester County.

Jose Acuna-Penagos, 39, and Johan Barrera-Munoz, 33, both of Queens, were arrested on Feb. 10 following a brief foot chase, according to the Darien Police Department.

Acuna-Penagos was charged with interfering with an officer, third-degree larceny, credit card theft, conspiracy, misuse of a marker plate, and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Barrera-Munoz was charged with interfering with an officer, third-degree larceny, credit card theft and conspiracy.

Both men are being held on $75,000 bonds, police said.

On Feb. 10, shortly after 2:30 p.m., police said a Darien detective was driving through the Darien Trader Joe's parking lot. "The detective was aware of numerous thefts of wallets occurring at this Trader Joe's location and others in surrounding towns, and was looking for suspicious activity that matched facts known to him," police said.

It soon became clear that his suspicions were correct, according to police.

The detective left, and later saw Acuna-Penagos and Barrera-Munoz exit the store quickly and walk to their car, police said, adding that the men took off their jackets and hats in the car and began to walk back towards the store.

But a shopper and a store employee came outside, police said, and Acuna-Penagos and Barrera-Munoz gestured towards each other to leave and went back to their car. As they entered their car, the detective activated his lights and sirens, but Acuna-Penagos didn't stop the car and drove down Oberlander Place, a dead end which leads to a parking lot, police said.

Both men got out of the car, and Acuna-Penagos, began walking away from the detective who gave commands to stop, police said. Barrera-Munoz, the passenger, was also told to stop, but he took off running through the woods.

Acuna-Penagos was taken to the ground and held as backup officers arrived, police said. Barrera-Munoz was found a short time later on the Post Road and taken into custody.

The shopper confirmed to police that her wallet and cell phone were stolen, police said, adding that the phone was found inside the car the men were driving.

Acuna-Penagos told police that the woman's wallet was thrown in the flower section in Trader Joe's "because they were only after phones and there was nothing of value in the wallet," police said.

Another phone from a Darien resident was also found, along with two others that were stolen from Trader Joe's stores in Larchmont and Scarscale, police reported.

This story relies on reporting from Patch Editor RJ Scofield.