Crime & Safety
Garden State Plaza Thieves Set Off Firework, Steal Watches
Authorities responded to the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus after receiving numerous 911 calls of a loud bang or explosion.
Shoppers at the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall experienced some pandemonium today after hearing an explosion, according to police.
Paramus Police received numerous 911 calls from the Nordstrom section of the mall at approximately 12:05 p.m. after shoppers reported sounds of possible fireworks, gunshots or explosion.
According to Captain Kenneth Ehrenberg, police arrived in the mall and learned that three males in the 20 to 30-year-old range allegedly had set off some form of fireworks in the Michael Kors section of Nordstrom and stole six high-end watches.
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One of the men tossed what is believed to have been some sort of firework into the Nordstrom from the general mall area, according to Ehrenberg: "When the explosion took place, the two males in the watch section took six high-end watches."
The watches are valued at approximately $3,000.
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The three individuals fled on foot and police were reviewing surveillance cameras Thursday afternoon in an attempt to identify the thieves.
Security for the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall would not comment on the incident.
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