Employee Charged with Stealing $720 from Payless

An employee of the Payless shoe store in the Wayne Hills Mall has been arrested after allegedly stealing more than $720 from the store earlier this week.

Officer Luis Oliveira responded to the store at about 10:45 a.m. on Feb. 11. According to police, store employees reported that $600 in start-up cash and other proceeds were found to be missing when employees began to prepare for the business day.

Police said Oliveira interviewed mall employee and discovered that a Payless employee was seen entering the store at 9:15 a.m.

Police said Detective David Collins continued the investigation, which culminated in the arrest of Payless employee Dwayne Wright, 25, of Paterson, on Feb. 15.

Police said Wright was charged with one count of theft in excess of $600 and one count of burglary.