Two women were apprehended at Boscov’s in Altoona after attempting to steal merchandise worth thousands of dollars, stating their intention to sell the items in Peru.
Liz Cornejo Serpa and Nandy Roller, aged 37, were apprehended this week in Patterson, N.J. They have been charged with retail theft and conspiracy to retail theft. According to the police, the duo was caught removing security tags from items at Boscov’s in Altoona.
The affidavit of probable cause reveals that on Sunday, October 27, Boscov’s security observed the pair with carts filled with merchandise, and it is alleged that they were removing security ink tags from multiple items.
Logan Township Police promptly responded to the call and approached the two individuals, escorting them away from the sales floor for a conversation. During this interaction, officers observed Serpa attempting to conceal items by discreetly placing them on nearby racks. Notably, they discovered a red handbag containing multiple security tags that had been removed.
The complaint states that the pair, claiming to be from Peru, frequently engaged in theft with the intention of selling stolen goods in their home country. Law enforcement apprehended both individuals and successfully identified them through fingerprint analysis, revealing their residential addresses in New Jersey.
In the complaint, it was observed that when they were apprehended, the pair had merchandise worth over $2,450 in their carts, and the security tags had been removed.
Serpa and Roller found themselves in Blair County Prison, where a bail of $50,000 was set for each of them.