Trumbull Police arrested an employee of JC Penney for larceny and discovered that the suspect also had an outstanding extraditable arrest warrant for sex crimes against children in Colorado. Police took Joshua Jaheem Bell, age 18, of Gem Avenue, Bridgeport into custody where he was charged for stealing from his employer and for being an outstanding fugitive for his criminal activity in Colorado.
On Saturday, October 28, 2023, around 3:00 PM, the Trumbull Police were called to JC Penney to investigate an employee theft of $250 and Bell had previously stolen over $4,500 in the past. Investigating officers learned that Bell had been stealing from his assigned JC Penney cash register since August 2023 but had been finally caught in the act after initial investigations had discovered money shortages from Bell’s cash register. During the investigation, officers learned that Bell was a wanted person out of Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office in Colorado for the sex crimes. Bell confirmed that he had traveled to Colorado earlier this year
Bell was then transported to the Trumbull Police Headquarters where he was charged with Extradition Arrest with No Warrant for the Colorado charges of Internet Sex Exposure of a Child and Sexual Assault of a Child. Bell was held on a $1,000,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on October 30, 2023.
Bell was also charged with Larceny in the 6th degree and held on an additional $500 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on November 8, 2023, for the Trumbull thefts.