19-Year-Old Girl Caught Red-Handed After Stealing from Target in Eatontown

Around 5:30 PM on July 31, 2025, Patrolman Matthew Schou with the Eatontown Police Department initially responded dispatched to a report of a 19-year-old female shoplifter at the Target on 56 State Route 36. He made contact with the asset protection employee, who informed the officers that the female attempted to exit the store with $147.57 worth of unpaid items. They also had a bag full of items that she did pay for. The alleged shoplifter was identified as 19-year-old Jayla Mable Wilson.

The asset protection employees showed the officers surveillance footage where Jayla allegedly failed to scan some of the items in self-checkout before attempting to exit the store with unpaid items. Jayla indicated that she was apologetic about what she just did. Since the store decided to press charges, Patrolman Schou placed Jayla under arrest for shoplifting.

After she was placed under arrest, Patrolman Schou placed her in the patrol car and subsequently transported her to the Eatontown Police Department for further processing. At police HQ, Jayla was finger printed and photographed. She was charged with shoplifting under 2C:20-11B(2) and released pending her court appearance.

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