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Police caught their break when the three stole a cellphone and a wallet from a pair of kiosk workers shortly before 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said.
Assisted by mall security, Paramus Detective Lt. Tom Schroeder and Detective Mark Pinajian quickly homed in on the trio, he said.
Two of them -- Alexander Arias Gudino Kleiber, 28, of Manhattan, and Claudia J. Simosa, 28, of the Bronx -- were caught returning to a white 2013 Mercedes Benz that bore a bogus Connecticut license plate, the chief said.
The accused ringleader, Andres R. Aguilar-Ceballos, 31, also from the Bronx, was captured inside the mall after Guidetti said he ducked into a bathroom at the Pinstripes restaurant and changed his jacket in an attempt to disguise his appearance.
The crew had used "distraction techniques" to keep victims occupied while stealing a host of items, the chief said.
These included:
- 139 different makeup products worth nearly $8,000 from Sephora;
- Twenty pieces of Macy's clothing and beauty products valued at $1,350;
- Eleven pieces of female clothing from Alo Yoga worth nearly $900;
- Two pair of Versace sunglasses worth a combined $868 from Sunglass Hut;
- 18 pieces of clothing from Victoria's Secret worth more than $825;
- Two handbags from Aldo worth $115.
Aguilar-Ceballos, Kleiber and Simosa were all charged with organized retail theft, conspiracy and theft.
They remained held Saturday in the Bergen County Jail pending first appearances in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.
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