Shabrika Laster, 24, of Trenton has been charged with robbery, shoplifting, eluding police and aggravated assault by auto after allegedly stealing dresses from Macy’s and leading police on a chase b
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Shabrika Laster, 24, of Trenton has been charged with robbery, shoplifting, eluding police and aggravated assault by auto after allegedly stealing dresses from Macy’s and leading police on a chase before being apprehended around 3 p.m. July 27, police Detective Sgt. Joseph Amodio said.
Ms. Laster was observed concealing several dresses, worth a combined $251.98, inside her shirt at Macy’s around 3:10 p.m., Sgt. Amodio said. When she was stopped outside the store by a security guard, she allegedly pushed the guard out of the way.
Police said she pulled back her hand and appeared ready to hit the security guard, but did not. She got into a waiting car and fled with a 24-year-old Trenton woman in the passenger’s seat. Police tried to stop her, but she led them on a chase on Route 1 South, Sgt. Amodio said.
Ms. Laster’s car struck another car near the I-95 entrance ramp, he said. She jumped out of the car and fled into a swampy area along I-95. She left the passenger in the car, suffering from an arm injury. There were no injuries to the occupants of the second car.
Police tracked down Ms. Laster in the swampy area and found her after a 20-minute search. After she was located by police, she was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center for treatment of an injury to her thigh and then taken to the Police Department, where she was charged with the offenses, Sgt. Amodio said.
The passenger in the car will not be charged because she stayed in the car while Ms. Laster allegedly stole several dresses, Sgt. Amodio said. Police recovered most of the dresses, except for one that was lost in the marshy area.