On Tuesday, four people were hanging around outside an eatery in the township when two of them entered the Franklin Avenue business to fill out job applications, a police department spokesman said. The spokesman declined to identify the business.
After filling out their applications, one of them, later identified as Michael Almonte-Parades, 19, of Belleville, grabbed a tip jar from the counter and ran, the business owner later told police.
An employee briefly chased Almonte-Parades but stopped when Almonte-Parades raised his fists, police said.
Officers responding to a 9-1-1 call found Almonte-Parades shortly after and placed him under arrest. He was charged with theft and simple assault and released pending a court date.
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