Serial Thief With Multiple Warrants Arrested Again

Around 6:22 PM on October 14, 2024, Officers Derek Miller and Brian Quigley with the Franklin Township Police Department received a call for shoplifting that occurred at Advance Auto Parts (432 State Route 23). The 2 suspects were described as a Hispanic male wearing a blue sweatshirt and a Hispanic female wearing a green sweatshirt with a pony tail. Surveillance footage showed both of them exit the store with air compressors without paying for them.

Officers Miller and Quigley located 2 suspects matching the descriptions on Wright Place in New Brunswick. The female was identified as 25-year-old Ecila Ruiz and the male was identified as 30-year-old Jay Yamil Colon. Both individuals were carrying air compressors in their possession and both suspects were detained. Officer Ishmael Saleem responded to the store to review the surveillance footage. After Officer Saleem viewed the surveillance footage and it was confirmed that the suspects matched what Officer Saleem saw on camera, both Ecila and Jay were placed under arrest.

The officers were advised that both Ecila and Jay had multiple outstanding warrants. After they were placed under arrest, both suspects were transported in separate vehicles to the Franklin Township Police Department for further processing. Ecila was charged with shoplifting under 2C:20-11B(1) and eventually lodged in the Middlesex County Jail based on her outstanding warrant out of Old Bridge, NJ. Jay was charged with receiving stolen property (2C:20-7A ) and released pending his court appearance.

Ecila’s prior arrests include the following incidents:

-Criminal trespass (2C:18-3B ) in Perth Amboy, NJ on April 17, 2018

-Simple assault (2C:12-1A(1) ) in Perth Amboy, NJ on September 3, 2018

-Possession (2C:35-10A(4)) in Shrewsbury, NJ on March 11, 2019

-Possession (2C:36-2) in Old Bridge, NJ on November 18, 2019

-Hindering (2C:29-3A(7)) in Clinton Township, NJ on May 3, 2023

Following this incident, Ecila was later arrested again on the following occasions:

-Possession (2C:35-10A(1)) in New Brunswick, NJ on June 10, 2025

-Shoplifting (2C:20-11B(4)) in Franklin Township, NJ on August 20, 2025

-Possession (2C:36-2A) and hindering (2C:29-3A(7)) in New Brunswick, NJ on August 13, 2025

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