BY TOM CLANCEY
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
TENAFLY, N.J. — Residents beware: car thefts will continue to happen, as long as car thieves know that residents in the area are leaving their cars unlocked with key fobs inside, Tenafly Police Capt. Michael deMoncada said last week.
On Aug. 25, an Engle Street resident reported that their 2017 Mercedes Benz sedan was stolen from their driveway sometime during the overnight hours, deMoncada said in a statement.
“The victim believes that they may have dropped their keys after exiting the vehicle, thereby allowing the thief to drive away in the car,” he said.
On Aug. 31, a Ridge Road resident reported that their black 2015 BMW X5M was stolen from their driveway. The key fob was apparently left in another unlocked vehicle, parked next to the stolen car, deMoncada said. Police obtained surveillance video showing two actors approach parked cars in the driveway around 2 a .m., he said.
“One of the actors then uses the found key fob to unlock and drive away with the BMW,” deMoncada said. “One suspect is described as a black male with facial hair, and the other is a white or light-skinned Hispanic male with tattoos on one arm. Several law enforcement agencies spotted the vehicle later that morning across several counties, but were unable to safely stop or recover the vehicle,” which was last seen heading into Irvington, near Newark.
Area police departments have reported car thefts to Northern Valley Press at alarming frequency this year.
“Theives have been targeting unlocked high-end luxury vehicles (Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, etc.,) which they ultimately attempt to ship overseas to sell on the black market in Africa and Eastern Europe,” deMoncada said. “The vast majority of car thefts in our area involve unlocked cars with key fobs left in the vehicle.”
On Aug. 8, Northern Valley Press reported that the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office secured the indictments for four men from Newark alleged to have stolen cars throughout the state, including in Closter, alleging that the defendants conspired to steal luxury cars, then load them onto cargo ships.
The attorney general’s office said the defendants in that case allegedly used certain spots to “cool off” stolen vehicles, “parking them at a hotel in Elizabeth, for example, until they were sure they were not equipped with tracking devices that would lead law enforcement to them.”
Once they were sure the vehicle was not actively being tracked, it was taken to another location, typically in Irvington, to be shipped, or was fenced domestically, the attorney general’s office said.
“Several of the vehicles allegedly stolen by the defendants were recovered from shipping containers prior to being placed on cargo vessels,” the attorney general’s office said.
It’s a trend, deMoncada said, that will keep happening – as long as area residents continue to leave cars unlocked.
“…As long as car thieves know that residents in our area will leave their cars unlocked with key fobs inside, they will continue to target our town. Please do not allow yourselves to become complacent,” said deMoncada.
“Our agency takes these thefts very seriously… We have to dedicate resources and countless hours to investigate these crimes,” deMoncada continued. “Our officers proactively patrol our streets looking for suspicious activity, and our detectives have been working diligently with surrounding agencies, as well as county and state authorities, to investigate, locate, and bring charges against anyone involved.”
Always lock your car and remove all keys, fobs and valuables from inside the passenger compartment after parking your vehicle, deMoncada said. Report any suspicious activity to your local police department, he said.
There have been seven car thefts this year in Tenafly, and four dating back to July 18, deMoncada said.
