By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
A tenacious passerby prevented a would-be shoplifter from escaping with nearly $300 worth of items from the CVS pharmacy on Brunswick Pike Saturday afternoon, attempting to detain the man until police arrived.
But the shoplifter, identified as 44-year-old Darren Wardlaw of Trenton, led the passerby and police on a chase across Brunswick Pike and through the backyards of houses on Haveson Avenue until he was apprehended shortly after 5 p.m., according to police reports.
Mr. Wardlaw was charged with robbery, shoplifting, resisting arrest, hindering apprehension, obstruction of the administration of law and justice, criminal trespass and wrongful impersonation, said police Lt. Joseph Amodio.
He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia (two straws used to snort a controlled dangerous substance) and receiving stolen property for having $278 worth of merchandise from Pets Plus in his possession, Lt. Amodio said.
Mr. Wardlaw allegedly concealed items from CVS under his clothing. He was confronted outside the store — at the corner of Brunswick Pike and Cherry Tree Lane — by the passerby, Lt. Amodio said. He tried to detain Mr. Wardlaw until police arrived, but Mr. Wardlaw broke free and ran.
The passerby, who police declined to identify, tried to grab him, but Mr. Wardlaw pushed him away. Mr. Wardlaw dropped the merchandise and ran across Brunswick Pike to Haveson Avenue, with the passerby in pursuit of him, Lt. Amodio said.
A police officer arrived and ordered Mr. Wardlaw to stop, but he continued to run. He jumped over the fences in the back yard of homes on Haveson Avenue, until he was finally apprehended in the Society Hill at the Brunswick Circle development, Lt. Amodio said.
When he was finally taken into custody, police discovered that Mr. Wardlaw was in possession of someone else’s identification papers. The photo on the driver’s license did not match the man who had been taken into custody, Lt. Amodio said.
Mr. Wardlaw was taken to the Mercer County Corrections Center after he was unable to post bail.
