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The Jersey City firehouse on Ocean Avenue as seen on Feb. 1, 2017, the day authorities say a woman stole gear from the firehouse less than a week after a man burglarized it.

(Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal)

A Jersey City firehouse was the target of a thief for the second time in one week yesterday, and police say the alleged perpetrator used the fire gear she stole to impersonate a firefighter and rob a nearby bodega.

The wild call led to police officers chasing the woman through residential yards while she stripped out of the firefighter gear she is accused of stealing, according to police reports. The 48-year-old woman is now in custody.

The firefighters appear to have been inside the firehouse when she stole the items from the fire truck. The captain told police they did not witness the alleged theft.

The captain told police a woman later identified as Sabrina Carter, 48, stole a jacket, pants, boots, helmet and flashlight from the rear of a firetruck parked outside the firehouse at 468 Ocean Ave. sometime before noon yesterday. That same firehouse was burglarized last week while firefighters were out responding to a two-alarm blaze.



Carter was then spotted about a mile away on Kennedy Boulevard and Grant Avenue, where the owner of a bodega at the intersection told police Carter entered his store in full firefighter gear at about 11:30 a.m. and told people to leave the building, according to a police report. A video obtained by The Jersey Journal shows what appears to be Carter telling people inside the bodge that she is investigating a gas leak.

UPDATE: Video shows what transpired inside bodega

The owner told police Carter had a "big knife" and stole "a bunch of lottery tickets" before fleeing on Grant Avenue, according to the police report.

Police said they next saw Carter on Orient Avenue, two blocks north of the bodega, and nabbed her in an alleyway there.

Carter was arrested and charged with burglary, robbery, theft, weapons charges and impersonating a public servant. Police reports indicates she is homeless. She is expected to make her first court appearance on the charges tomorrow.

A man behind the counter at the bodega this morning referred all questions to police.

A video posted on Facebook yesterday afternoon (and deleted this morning) appears to show Carter walking on Grant Avenue before she is accused of robbing the bodega. The video includes explicit language.

29-year-old Antwan Barfield was arrested early Saturday morning and accused of burglarizing the same firehouse last week. Police say he stole items from the firehouse, including firefighters' credit cards, while the crew was rescuing a 16-year-old boy from a building on Cator Avenue.

The installed a security camera next to the firehouse after that incident. As a result of yesterday's theft, all firefighters have been reminded not to leave any rigs unattended, according to Morrill.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.