Salesmen Pepper Sprayed In Robbery At Red Bank Jewelry Store

RED BANK, NJ — A woman from New York has been charged with a robbery of a Red Bank jewelry store in which police say an employee was pepper sprayed inside and the owner was pepper sprayed as he tried to stop the suspect on Union Street.

Shanna Santori, 32, from Peekskill, N.Y., was in the Monmouth County jail after the incident on Tuesday, April 4, Capt. Michael Frazee said in a police report.

Santori was charged with second-degree robbery; third-degree theft; two counts of second-degree aggravated assault with a weapon; fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon; third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, according to police.

Santori was transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold, police said.

On Tuesday afternoon, at about 3 p.m., Red Bank Police responded to Leonardo Jewelers, 35 E. Front Street, for a report of a panic alarm activation.

Before police got there on that call, police dispatch received a second call advising of a man and woman fighting on Union Street.

When police arrived at the scene, they saw Leo Zeik, owner of Leonardo Jewelers, who advised that his store was just burglarized.

Zeik informed officers on scene that the suspect entered the store and began looking at a specific watch, police said.

Zeik told police that during the interaction, Santori pepper sprayed an employee in the face and then fled the store on foot with the watch, according to the police report.

Zeik, who was present in the store, immediately ran after the suspect, eventually catching up to her on Union Street.

During that time, a short struggle ensued and the suspect then pepper sprayed Zeik in the face and continued running from the area, police said.

Santori was found hiding in the reeds along the waterfront just to the rear of the Red Bank Elks on West Front Street, police said, and was arrested.

The police department, in a news release, gave credit to "Mr. Zeik for having the fortitude to chase after the suspect." The quick response by the members of the Red Bank Police Department was also cited.

Meanwhile, Zeik and the unidentified male employee received medical attention for exposure to pepper spray. Both victims were later released from a local hospital, police said.

If anyone has information regarding this incident, police ask you contact Det. Paul Perez at 732-530-2700.