Rashawn West and Jamier Cheatham

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

Two Newark men were arrested after a shoplifting incident at a ShopRite in Bergen County, authorities said.

Lyndhurst officers were dispatched to the New York Avenue store on a report of two male shoplifters around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30, Capt. Paul Haggerty said.

Loss prevention told police that one suspect stayed inside while a second suspect went into the parking lot after stashing assorted merchandise into a backpack, while also hiding the same on him, Hagerty said. 

Sgt. Abruscato and Officer Flora entered the store and arrested Jamier T. Cheatham, 27, of Newark, after being directed by a loss prevention employee to his whereabouts, police said.

Officer Walker and Officer Seickendick searched the lot and found the second suspect, Rashawn Q. West, 32, of Newark, reclining in the driver's seat of a red Dodge Durango with its lights and engine off, according to Haggerty. 

When officers approached, West immediately exited the vehicle and began to walk in the opposite direction, but Officer Jorge Fernandez stopped him and arrested him, according to the captain.

Police said the pair took $346.68 worth of merchandise in a backpack and a large winter coat. A search of West recovered 37 individually stamped wax folds containing suspected heroin and six vials of suspected crack cocaine, police said. 

Cheatham was charged with fourth-degree shoplifting and found to have an active warrant out of Newark for obstruction, police said. West was charged with fourth-degree shoplifting and two counts of third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, police said. 

Both were remanded to the Bergen County Jail.