The incident occurred Thursday night at the Ocean County Mail in Toms River, where police were called at 8 p.m. for a fight between the shoplifters and the store's loss-prevention officers, authorities said.
TOMS RIVER -- Toms River police are looking for help in finding two shoplifters, one of whom assaulted a security officer who tried to detain them.
The incident occurred Thursday night at the Ocean County Mail in Toms River, where police were called at 8 p.m. for a fight between a shoplifter and one of the store's loss-prevention officers, said Ralph Stocco, spokesman for the Toms River Police Department.
Stocco said the shoplifters - a man and a woman - were observed stealing clothing from the juniors department at Boscov's and putting the items in a bag from another store, Stocco said.
When two loss-prevention officers approached them as they were leaving the store, the couple refused to comply with their request to accompany them to the store's security office, Stocco said.
He said the woman ran from the store while the man attacked one of the officers. In the struggle, the man punched the officer in the face. After the fighting men fell to the ground, the suspect ran off, Stocco said. He said the man and the woman fled in a black Hyundai, which was possibly a Sonata. The security officer suffered a bloody nose and mouth, Stocco said.
Because the shoplifting incident involved an assault, charges against at least the man will be upgraded to robbery, Stocco said.
Anyone who has information about the incident or the suspects is asked to call Toms River police Officer Matthew Crosta at 732-349-0150 ext. 1392.
MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
