Suspected Riverdale Thief Hits Rock Bottom

On Friday night, an alleged shoplifter from Walmart went over the edge.

According to the Riverdale Police Department, dispatch alerted officers of an alleged shoplifter who was fleeing from Walmart on Friday evening. The alleged thief had attempted to take a cart full of merchandise, valued at $462.58, from the store. Confronted by employees, he'd run out. At about 9:30 PM, law enforcement agents responded to the store and spotted the suspect running to a back parking lot and jumping over a fence.

The area behind the fence has a severe drop off, somewhere between 20 to 100 feet depending on the area. Behind the drop off is the Tilcon Riverdale Quarry. This is where the alleged shoplifter had jumped into but patrolmen weren't exactly sure where the suspect had gone.

Two patrol agents checked the quarry and then climbed down into the wooded area below the fence. The officers then walked several hundred feet to find the suspect, who was identified as a 27-year-old from Wayne. After some searching, the officers found the suspect at the base of the very high retaining wall below the fence.

The individual was on his back and he became unconscious. He had extensive injuries, including internal injuries and broken bones. The PLRFAS, Paramedics, the Riverdale Fire Dept., and the State Police Northstar responded to the scene. A rescue squad sent equipment down to the fallen man's location and with the help of the Riverdale Fire Dept.'s Ladder Truck, the individual was extracted from the area, taken to a landing zone, and loaded onto the helicopter.

The injured suspect was flown to St. Joseph's Emergency Room in Paterson. Although his condition is not known at this time, he was charged with 4th degree Shoplifting. The alleged shoplifter will be processed and given a court date when he is released from the hospital.

Image via Riverdale Police Dept., used with permission.