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Brenden Santiago, 36, of Tinton Falls, was charged with third-degree shoplifting and fourth-degree attempted shoplifting on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced the charges on Thursday, Jan. 25.
Online records show Santiago earns upwards of $100,000 a year.
Prosecutors said Santiago "skip-scanned" items from a discount department store chain six times in December 2023. "Skip-scanning" is when someone scans cheaper items instead of more expensive ones or pretends to scan items and leaves a store without paying for them.
In one instance, Santiago was accused of wearing a Middletown police uniform while stealing. The total value of the stolen items was more than $500.
Santiago was caught trying to shoplift a seventh time on Saturday, Jan. 9. An employee checked his receipt and he didn't leave the store with unpaid items.
The township's police chief said Santiago has been "relieved of duty" and suspended without pay.
"The criminal conduct alleged in the complaints filed against Patrolman Santiago are deeply troubling and do not reflect the values of our agency," Chief R. Craig Weber said in a statement. "We firmly believe that trust and integrity are the essential cornerstones of policing and we hold our employees to the highest professional and ethical standards."
Anyone with information about the case should call the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443.
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