A Manalapan Township couple was arrested last week for shoplifting, robbery and related crimes outside Wegman's on Rt. 9 in Manalapan.
The suspects, Steven and Theresa Costigan of Grandview Lane, were seen by store security leaving the store with over $390 in merchandise. When store security approached them in the parking lot, one of the suspects allegedly drove their vehicle into the guard, resulting in an assault by auto charge. The couple was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child as a result of their bringing their 4-year old son along.
The couple initially fled the scene but was later stopped by Manalapan Police on Woodward Road in the township. Mr. Costigan is lodged at Monmouth County Jail in lieu of $7,500 bail while his wife secured her own release after posting a $5,000 bond.
Shoplifting (N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11) merchandise valued between $200 and $500 is a crime in the fourth-degree, punishable by up to 18 months in prison. Robbery (N.J.S.A. 2C:15) and endangering the welfare of a child (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4) are generally second-degree crimes, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Assault by Auto is generally a crime in the fourth-degree punishable by up to 18 months in prison.
If you have been arrested, charged, or convicted of assault, shoplifting, robbery, or endangering the welfare of a child, contact an experienced Monmouth County criminal defense attorney for a free consultation.
