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Detective Sgt. Joseph Soto and Lt. David Murphy grabbed 21-year-old Brian Torres-Malaga of Paterson after stopping a car driven by his mother -- who works with him -- at 6:30 a.m. on Lafayette Avenue, Police Chief Benjamin C. Fox said.
Torres-Malaga was in the back seat, he said.
Torres-Malaga was delivering The Record newspapers, police said.
However, Patricia Moore, a corporate attorney for North Jersey Media Group, noted: "The carrier was performing services for a third-party contractor and not for The Record."
The officers had reviewed area surveillance video and were watching him after a Bridle Path resident told police that someone swiped three packages from her front porch on Sunday, Fox said.
Soto and Murphy "recovered numerous packages," with the shipping labels removed but believed stolen from Wyckoff, from Torres-Malaga's home, the chief said.
Fox asked that any Wyckoff homeowner who's missing packages call his department: (201) 891-2121.
Torres-Malaga was charged with theft and released on a court summons.
"His mother was not charged but is believed to have knowledge of the package thefts," Fox said.
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