Holiday Shoppers Caught With Fraudulent Credit Cards, ID: Maywood PD

MAYWOOD, NJ — A group of people who claimed to be driving to a local mall to shop for the holidays were caught with fraudulent credit cards and driver's licenses, Maywood police Chief Terence Kenny said.

The group was caught at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, when police pulled over a Subaru SUV that made an illegal turn at Maywood Avenue and Essex Street, Kenny said.

The 26-year-old driver, Karina Espinal, of Newark, said she had only a photo of her Connecticut driver's license on her; although, police discovered, the license was in a different woman's name, police said.

Two passengers — and Tyshawn Stevens, 26; and Christopher Godwin, 43, both of New York — were also charged with possession of fraudulent identifications and identity theft, in relation to other false documents found, police said.

As Espinal was being arrested, Stevens decided to run away and was chased through multiple backyards. He was caught, and subsequently charged with obstruction and resisting arrest, police said.

It turned out that Stevens had an active no-bail warrant for previous narcotics violations out of the Bergen County Sheriff's Department, police said.

"Despite lengthy arrest records for the trio," Espinal and Godwin were released with a pending court date, and Stevens was turned over to the Sheriff's Department, Kenny said.