Around 12:22 PM on April 24, 2024, Patrolman Brian Jelinski with the Hazlet Township Police Department was were dispatched to the Burlington Coat Factory (3010 Route 35, Hazlet Township, New Jersey) on a report of an employee who had been caught stealing from them. He arrived on scene and first made contact with the manager of the store, before they walked over to the back office to make contact with the suspect. The alleged thief was identified as Michele Intravaia. Michele refused to admit to anything, but it was later revealed that the value of what she had stolen was over $300. Since the store wanted to press charges against her, Michele was ultimately placed under arrest. Michele was handcuffed and transported to the Hazlet Township Police Department for further processing. A search of her purse later revealed that she was in possession of a prescription item that she should not have been in possession of. Since the item resembled the effects of an opiate, Michele was also charged with possession. Michele was processed at the station, advised of her charges, and released pending her court appearance. She was charged with shoplifting (2C:12-11B(2)) and possession (2C:35-10.5E(1)). On December 2, 2024, Michele’s shoplifting charge was downgraded to disorderly conduct (Ordinance 959-94), while the possession charge was dismissed. As a result of her conviction, Michele had to pay a total of $790 in fines. A check of Michele's past criminal history reveals multiple prior arrests for shoplifting and writing bad checks. Her prior arrests include the following incidents: -Writing bad checks (2C:21-5B) in Middletown Township, NJ on October 21, 2006 -Shoplifting (2C:20-11B(1)) in Hazlet Township, NJ on December 24, 2005 -Shoplifting (2C:20-11B(1)) in Holmdel Township, NJ on June 3, 1991 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.

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