Crime & Public Safety.
The defendant worked with an unidentified accomplice, police said.
A New Jersey woman with five prior retail theft convictions is free on $2,500 unsecured bail after being arraigned earlier this month on a felony retail theft charge stemming from a March 2024 incident at Kohl’s at Ralph’s Corner in Hatfield Township.
Ashley Brown, 30, of the 20th block of Oakland Street, Bridgeton, NJ, was also charged via warrant with misdemeanor offenses of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, according to the affidavit.
On March 12 at 9:45 p.m., Hatfield Police responded to Kohl’s at 2333 Welsh Road for a report of a theft in progress.
Upon arrival, police met with a manager, who told them Brown, and a black male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, wearing a Chicago Bulls baseball cap and gray hoodie, entered the store; the manager contacted security to monitor the duo on security cameras, police said.
Police allege Brown and her accomplice took athletic wear and fled out the front entrance without paying. Security called police, but the two had fled before arrival.
On March 30, Kohl’s loss prevention disseminated pictures of Brown and the alleged accomplice to other Kohl’s locations, where another loss prevention officer identified Brown from the photo, according to the complaint.
Police said the surveillance video from March 12 shows Brown select activewear, then go behind a clothing fixture where she begins putting the items in a tote bag that the male individual was holding.
On April 15, loss prevention gave police a receipt of items taken, which totaled $668.91, police said.
Police said they matched Brown in the surveillance footage to the photo on her New Jersey license.
Brown had five prior retail theft convictions filed by the New Jersey State Police Bellmawr barracks, Millville Police Department, Cherry Hill Police Department, and Gloucester Police Department, per the affidavit.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 24 at 9:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Edward Levine.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
