Woman faces robbery charges

FAIRFIELD — A Bridgeport woman has been charged after an investigation into what police say was a shoplifting turned robbery at an Old Navy last year.

Fairfield Police Lt. Antonio Granata said Lasharae Bennett, 22, was charged with second-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery, sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit sixthdegree larceny and risk of injury to a child for an incident on Dec. 15, 2019.

Granata said police responded to a report of two women, who were accompanied by young children, shoplifting at the Old Navy on Black Rock Turnpike at the time.

“The two females were allegedly observed filling three large Old Navy mesh bags with clothes and fled the store without paying for them,” he said. “While inside the store, the two managers interacted with both subjects and were allegedly threatened by both of them by force and by use of mace.”

Granata said the suspects fled the scene in a black Volkswagen Jetta, and the vehicle’s license plate number was given to police. He said an officer reviewing security camera footage recognized Bennett from a previous larceny Fairfield Police had investigated.

“An investigation into the vehicle utilized in this incident also revealed a nexus to both Bennett and the second subject that accompanied her into Old Navy,” Granata said.

According to court documents, Bennett was arrested on Oct. 8 and released on a $100,000 bond. Her arraignment is set for Oct. 27.

Granata said a warrant has been issued for the woman who accompanied Bennett, but she has yet to be arrested.