Man Arrested for Stealing Bacon at the Hoboken ShopRite After Multiple Thefts

Around 9:25 AM on February 20, 2023, Sergeant Roary Miller and Officers Wilfredo Gomez, Michael Aviles, and Tyrone Huggins with the Hoboken Police Department responded to a report of a shoplifting in progress at ShopRite on 900 Madison Street. As they were arriving, they were informed that the suspect had dropped everything and attempted to leave the store. Sergeant Miller located a male matching the description of the suspect on Madison Street in front of the ShopRite and made contact with him at 9:27 AM.

The suspect denied attempting to shoplift and told Sergeant Miller that he did not have any identification on him. Officer Gomez asked him to provide his name, and he provided an alias by identifying himself as “Marcus Martinez.” The officers later learned that he had not given them his real name, and they eventually identified him as 33-year-old George Xenakis.

After Officers Aviles and Huggins arrived to assist, Sergeant Miller and Officer Gomez walked into the ShopRite to investigate further. The manager told Officer Gomez that this man had stolen over $7,000 worth of items from that ShopRite over the course of multiple incidents. The officers spoke with Felix as well as a few other employees of the store as they tabulated the total value of the bacon that the suspect attempted to steal that day.

A search of his person revealed that George was in possession of prohibited items. George was handcuffed, placed in the patrol car, and transported to the Hoboken Police Department for further processing. At police HQ, he was searched in more detail. He was charged with shoplifting (2C:20-11B(2)), hindering apprehension (2C:29-3), and CDS/Possession: Influence (2C:35-10A(1)). A check of his records revealed that he did have several outstanding warrants, and he was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility. Court records indicate that George has multiple prior arrests for shoplifting in different jurisdictions.

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