A woman was arrested in Jersey City near the Holland Tunnel after authorities discovered that she had five revoked E-Z Pass accounts and owed over $30,000 in unpaid tolls, police said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Shakeema North, 38, of Orange, was charged with theft of services yesterday morning, according to Port Authority police spokesman Joe Pentangelo.
At around 8:00 a.m. yesterday, a Port Authority police officer was stationed at the Holland Tunnel Toll Plaza in Jersey City when he saw the suspect’s 2009 silver BMW traveling east through the plaza. The officer saw the sign board read “Toll Unpaid,” officials said.
The BMW was pulled over and the officer asked North if she had paid the toll and if she had an E-Z Pass, prompting her to retrieve an E-Z Pass from the center console, authorities said.
When the officer question why the E-Z pass was not attached to the the windshield, she he stated she did not like the looks of it on the windshield but that her that her account was current, officials said.
Records indicated that the suspect’s E-Z Pass account was delinquent and had been revoked. A further investigation showed that the suspect owed more than $30,000 in unpaid tolls and fees, with more than 400 separate recorded incidents, police said.
Records further indicated that the suspect holds five individual E-Z Pass accounts, all of which are delinquent and revoked. North, whose driver’s registration was also suspended, was arrested at the scene, authorities said.
And people wonder why the subways are so expensive. If everyone would pay their tolls us WORKING people wouldn’t have to pick up the slack! That’s a good idea though with the 5 easy passes… I might have to try that… it’s only fair!
400 times, 400 times, wow, that’s a lot