[MSN] 2 men held, a third sought in mall theft of 222 books.

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2 men held, a third sought in mall theft of 222 books      

Saturday, July 22, 2006 

By KRISTYN ECOCHARD
STAFF WRITER 

PARAMUS -- While detectives watched, a man in a shopping mall parking lot
slid a couple of books out from under his shirt, tossed them into the back
seat of a car and went back inside the mall.

Twelve trips later, he and two cohorts had swiped 222 books worth more than
$4,200.
  
Detectives arrested two of the men -- identified as Jeffrey Williams, 41,
and Anthony Echevarria, 22, both of Brooklyn. The third suspect got away.
"If we catch that guy, we're going to throw the book at him," Police Chief
Fred Corrubia said Friday.

Detectives David Lagrone and Kevin Delaney approached two of the men after
they got into a Ford Expedition outside Garden State Plaza just after 8 p.m.
Thursday. When neither could show receipts for the books, the officers
patted them down and found more books tucked into their waistbands, Corrubia
said.

Both admitted stealing the books from Borders, Corrubia said. 

While handcuffed in the back of the police car, Williams apparently made a
phone call to a third associate, Corrubia said.

Moments later, two phony 911 calls came into police headquarters from a pay
phone near the mall exit where the arrests occurred. The caller said an
officer was down at the Barnes and Noble on Route 17 -- an obvious ruse to
lure police away, Corrubia said.

Whoever is responsible for the call faces charges of causing a false public
alarm. It is a third-degree crime because it involves a police officer,
Corrubia said.

"We're taking this very seriously," the chief said.

Paramus Officer Vincent Brock was killed in a car accident in 1993 while
responding to what turned out to be a false report of shots fired near
Garden State Plaza. 

Police were reviewing surveillance tapes in hopes of identifying the third
suspect.

Williams and Echevarria were each being held on $25,000 bailFriday at the
Bergen County Jail, charged with possession of stolen property. Echevarria
is also wanted in Woodbridge on a $2,500 outstanding warrant.

E-mail: ecochard at northjersey.com