The thefts were uncovered around 1:58 a.m. Thursday when a Fairfield Police officer on routine patrol stopped to assist a subject who flagged him down on Stratfield Road, said Lt. Robert Kalamaras.
The male operator, Donovan Green, 26, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, said he was lost and needed directions to the highway. Officers could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and asked the operator if he had any on him.
Green handed the officer a small bag of a green leafy substance that he admitted was marijuana. There were three other passengers in the vehicle, Kalamaras said.
After given consent to search the vehicle, officers discovered 23 unopened boxes of Rogaine, four unopened bottles of Aleve, one package of Prilosec, three packages of Dulcolax. With a total value of $1,279.78, he added.
A follow-up investigation revealed that earlier the four visited the CVS at Fairway Plaza, which was nearby. Surveillance showed the four subjects inside the store with backpacks, taking items. The store clerk reported hearing the alarm go off as the subjects left, but assumed it was a malfunction, Kalamaras said.
The four, in addition to Green, included Chasity Villanueva, 22, Tyrone Butler, 29, and Maliek Barrow, 22, all of the Bronx, were charged with larceny and shoplifting charges in addition to two for marijuana charges. They were all released after posting $175 each in bail.
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