Suspected South Jersey package thief accused of striking officer with car while eluding arrest, police say

A woman accused of stealing packages from homes in Gloucester Township is now accused of striking a police officer with her vehicle while eluding arrest, according to authorities. 

At approximately 1:39 p.m. on Friday, Gloucester Township police received an anonymous tip that Ebony Gomez, of Jacksonville, Florida, was operating a white Dodge Journey in Sicklerville, according to a Facebook post. Gomez and the vehicle were linked to recent package thefts, according to police.

MORE: Man posing as Amazon worker snatched $1,200 package from South Jersey porch, authorities say

Officers located the vehicle, which had a license plate listed as stolen, on Jarvis Road and conducted a motor vehicle stop. Juveniles were observed unrestrained inside the vehicle before it fled at a "high rate of speed," authorities say. 

Police observed the vehicle a short time later parked and occupied on Parsons Court, and an officer approached the vehicle giving commands to stop. Gomez, the alleged driver, again attempted to flee, striking the officer with her vehicle, according to police. Police attempted to pursue the vehicle, but the pursuit was terminated due to "safety concerns."

The injured police officer was transported to Cooper Hospital in Camden for treatment and is in stable condition, authorities say. Gomez is charged with eluding, endangering the welfare, aggravated assault and aggravated assault on law enforcement. She is not yet in custody, police say.

Gomez was captured on video stealing packages from two residences in the Cherrywood development on Dec. 1 and one in the Mayfair Woods development on Dec. 2, according to Gloucester Township police. During one incident, Gomez allegedly knocked on the door of a house, took a package, and when the resident confronted her she claimed to work for UPS and said she accidentally delivered it to the wrong home.

In light of recent package thefts, Gloucester Township police said they are planting "bait packages" containing GPS trackers in an effort to catch so-called "porch pirates."

"We're putting GPS bait packages out in areas where we think they're most susceptible to getting stolen," Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins told FOX29. "I would just warn anybody, if you're going to steal a package be careful about it, you might have a Gloucester Township police officer right on your tail."

Last month, Gloucester Township police arrested a woman for allegedly stealing several boxes of religious paintings and memorabilia that had been delivered to a church. Authorities are also searching for a man accused of stealing a package of Apple Watches worth $1,229 from a porch while wearing a blue Amazon delivery jacket.

Anyone with information can call the Gloucester Township Police Department at (856) 228-4500 or submit an anonymous tip online.