Darien police: N.Y. men linked to phone thefts

DARIEN — Police say two New York men have been arrested after they were linked to a series of cellphone thefts from customers at various Trader Joe’s stores.

Jose Acuna-Penagos, 39, and Johan Barrera-Munoz, 33, were each charged in connection with the thefts. Once apprehended, police found phones that had been stolen from New York stores in Westchester County, Darien Police Sgt. Dan Skoumbros said in a news release Tuesday.

A detective was driving through the Trader Joe’s parking lot on Post Road around 2:40 p.m. Friday after hearing that numerous wallets had been stolen at the store as well as in surrounding towns. While sitting in the lot, the detective saw two men walk from Post Road and enter the store, according to Skoumbros.

The detective followed the two men who were “pretending to shop,” Skoumbros said. He said the detective witnessed Acuna-Penagos looking into a woman’s purse. The two men left the store quickly, crossed the road to their car and took off their jackets and hat before walking back toward the store, Skoumbros said.

The woman was then seen exiting the store with an employee, and the two men gestured toward each other to leave, Skoumbros said. As the suspects got into their vehicle, the detective activated his lights and sirens, but the men continued to drive down Oberlander Place, a dead-end leading into a parking lot, according to Skoumbros.

Skoumbros said the two men got out of the car and the driver, Acuna-Penagos, started to walk away, ignoring the detective’s commands. The passenger, Barrera-Munoz, was also told to stop, and took off running toward the woods, Skoumbros said.

The detective took Acuna-Penagos to the ground and backup officers arrived shortly afterward and found Barrera-Munoz on Post Road, according to Skoumbros.

Police later found the woman’s phone inside the vehicle, as well as phones that were stolen in Darien and from customers at Trader Joe’s stores in Mamaroneck and Scarsdale, N.Y., Skoumbros said.

Acuna-Penagos later told police they threw the woman’s wallet in the flower section of the store “because they were only after phones and there was nothing of value in the wallet,” according to Skoumbros.

Acuna-Penagos, of Queens, N.Y., and Barrera-Munoz, of Jamaica, N.Y., were each charged with interfering with an officer, third-degree larceny, credit card theft and conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny.

Acuna-Penagos was additionally charged with misuse of a marker plate and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Both men are scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 21.