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Around 1:15 PM on March 24, 2026, Officer Cole Szymanski with the Washington Township Police Department (Morris County) was dispatched to Target (68 US Highway 46 West) on a report of a possible shoplifting in progress. He arrived on scene around 1:18 PM and made contact with Asset Protection Team Leader Sophia Narvaez in the Asset Protection office. She advised Officer Szymanski that she was actively monitoring a shoplifting suspect from a previous incident where she had stolen about $116 worth of items.

They monitored the surveillance cameras across multiple screens for over an hour. Sergeant Phil Seabeck arrived on scene to assist while they were monitoring the cameras. The suspect was identified as a female with a dog, and she was observed placing multiple beauty items into reusable bags on her shopping cart. After shopping for over an hour, she walked over to the self-checkout terminals, only paid for $13.06 worth of items, and then walked past all points of sale with the rest of the unpaid items. At this time, the officers walked over to the front entrance and apprehended the suspect outside the front entrance.

The suspect was soon identified as Sydney Stavis. The officers escorted Sydney back to the Asset Protection office as another store employee scanned the stolen merchandise. Sydney claimed that she had anxiety and that she intended to pay for the items, but forgot to do so. She claimed that she was currently unemployed, but also stated that she sometimes works as a freelance makeup artist. The total value of the stolen merchandise was determined to be $815.39.

Based on their surveillance footage and the store’s decision to press charges, Sydney was placed under arrest for shoplifting. She was handcuffed by Officer Szymanski and placed inside the patrol car along with her dog. Officer Szymanski transported her to the Washington Township Police Department for further processing. At the station, she was advised that she had been suspected of stealing items on yet another occasion at the Ulta store in Chester, New Jersey. She was charged with shoplifting under 2C:20-11B(2) and eventually released pending her court appearance in the Morris County Superior Court on April 15, 2026.

Court records indicate that on May 1, 2026, her case was transferred from the Morris County Superior Court back to the Washington Township Municipal Court. On August 6, 2026, her shoplifting charge was then downgraded to Disturbing Proceedings of Official Bodies (Ordinance 140-2) as part of a plea agreement. She also had to pay a total of $533 in fines.

Following this incident, Sydney was later arrested again after stealing $696.24 worth of items from another Target in Rockaway Township, New Jersey (381 Mount Hope Avenue) on May 1, 2026. 
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