Police accused a 30-year-old woman on Wednesday of letting unpaid merchandise leave the Econo supermarket on Gautier Benítez Avenue in Caguas while she worked there. The defendant was identified as Ninoshka Cruz Cartagena, a Caguas resident, who allegedly failed to scan certain items when ringing up customers’ purchases. According to the investigation, the store’s security cameras corroborated the situation, and an inventory showed a total of $717.49 in merchandise.
Agent Tito Rivera Hernández, under the supervision of Sergeant Javier Marcano Marrero, consulted the case with prosecutor Pedro Mateo, who ordered a charge filed under Article 182 of the Puerto Rico Penal Code. Judge María Teresa Hernández Calzada, of the Caguas court, found probable cause for arrest and set bail at $300, which Cruz Cartagena posted. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for November 5, 2026.