A purse stolen out of a Fairfield Chinese restaurant back in May has turned into a sprawling criminal case spanning three New Jersey towns, with Fairfield police announcing charges this week against three Washington, D.C. residents who remain wanted. The alleged scheme involved a disguised accomplice, a stolen license plate, and months of digital detective work before anyone was charged.
According to Newport Dispatch, officers responded to King Wok at 397 Route 46 West in Fairfield on May 18, 2026, after a customer reported her purse missing. The bag reportedly held around $500 in cash along with credit cards, checkbooks, and keys, according to the same report.
How the Theft Allegedly Unfolded
Investigators determined that the operation involved multiple people working in tandem inside the restaurant: one female suspect and one male suspect dressed as a female placed a food order up front, while another male slipped into the kitchen area, the outlet reports. That kitchen-area suspect apparently created a distraction, according to investigators, giving the others cover to grab the victim's purse without being noticed until she realized it was gone.
Surveillance footage captured the group leaving in a Ford Explorer bearing a New Jersey registration plate. Investigators later determined that plate had been reported stolen by the West Orange Police Department, per the Newport Dispatch account, adding another layer to an already tangled case.
Months of Digital Tracing Led to Charges
The case sat with Fairfield Detective Nicholas Cocchi, who built the investigation using surveillance footage, license-plate data, cellular telephone records, social-media evidence, and court-authorized warrants and subpoenas, the news outlet reported. That work reportedly traced the theft back to three Washington, D.C. residents and also surfaced additional alleged criminal activity in Lincoln Park and Woodland Park, including restaurant burglaries, fraudulent credit-card transactions, and a robbery.
Fairfield police filed criminal charges against Brittany Fleming, Dominique Gray, and Lamont Fleming on October 19, and the same report states all three remain currently wanted. Brittany Fleming, 36, and Lamont Fleming, 48, both of Washington, D.C., are each charged with burglary, theft by unlawful taking, and two counts of conspiracy. Dominique Gray, 49, also of Washington, D.C., faces two counts of conspiracy.
Separate Charges Filed in Woodland Park
The case didn't stop at Fairfield's border. The Woodland Park Police Department filed separate charges against the same three individuals in connection with a robbery investigation in that town.
Under New Jersey law, robbery is addressed under Title 2C:15-1 of the state statutes, though the dossier provides no further detail on how that charge applies to the Woodland Park case specifically. With all three suspects still at large as of this week, it remains unclear when or whether they will be taken into custody.
