BY JOHN SNYDER
OF PASCACK PRESS
Pascack Valley area, New Jersey —Township of Washington police said a Porsche SUV and an Audi SUV were stolen from driveways overnight May 4 in the area of Woodfield Road, and that a Range Rover was stolen from a Patrick Avenue, Emerson home at around the same time.
All three cars were left unlocked and with the key fobs inside, making them easy prey, police said.
According to Sgt. Arsenio Pecora, the Township residents’ cars were found parked illegally in East Orange, roughly 22 miles away via the Garden State Parkway. Patrol officers ran the plates and went to speak with the drivers, who then took off.
Pecora said security video from a Township home showed that other cars were involved.
“It looks like they were cased earlier,” Pecora said.
He said East Orange Police called local officers, who then went out to the victims’ homes to confirm with them that their cars went missing. They filed their reports at 4 a.m.
He added, “It looks like they’re using high-end vehicles to steal other high-end vehicles. It seems like a very large group.”
The Emerson Range Rover was suspected as involved when East Orange police found its temporary registration on the ground, Emerson Police Capt. Michael McDermott told Pascack Press.
He said Township police notified him at 5:58 a.m. that the Range Rover was involved based on the registration find and East Orange surveillance video from 4:16 a.m.
Luxury car thefts still vex Garden State
In 2017, then-New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino secured indictments against four defendants alleging they had conspired to steal luxury cars in eight state municipalities, including Closter.
Porrino said the case revealed what was “big business for these defendants,” saying they “allegedly scoured wealthy residential areas for the luxury cars they prized, typically stealing them right from their owners’ driveways.”
Porrino said defendants allegedly would “cool off” vehicles, parking them in quiet spots, until some time passed and the cars could be loaded onto shipping containers to be placed on cargo vessels or sold domestically.
Modern luxury cars, which use key fobs, often have a telltale sign for thieves: if unlocked, the vehicles’ side mirrors stay in position; when locked, they fold in. Police say this simple indicator is a give-away for would-be thieves.
“Rarely do we see a forced entry. Most of the time they will check, pull on door handles, and if it’s unlocked, they’ll go in. If the key fob is there, they’ll steal the vehicle,” Closter Detective Sgt. Justin Fox said at the time. “They’re going to find an opening for opportunity if the car is unlocked.”
Between July and October 2017, Northern Valley Press—a sister newspaper of Pascack Press—reported 11 incidents of car thefts and car burglaries in Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Haworth, Norwood, and Tenafly.
In late November 2017, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office issued an alert and said there had been 30 such incidents in 30 days countywide.
After a quiet winter, news of car thefts recently reemerged in Northern Valley communities. In Demarest, police there said four vehicles were stolen on March 10. Three cars were stolen in Harrington Park on March 18, police said. In Closter, a Maserati and a Porsche were stolen from two separate residents in the east section of the borough on March 19
“We encourage all residents to lock their vehicles and remove any valuables when the vehicles are left unattended, and especially during the overnight hours,” Harrington Park Police Chief Albert Maalouf said at the time. “We caution residents to be aware of their surroundings, and to report any activity which they deem suspicious.”
Police offer these tips to help protect your car from theft:
- Don’t leave your car unlocked;
- Never leave your car running while unattended or unlocked;
- Do not leave a spare key fob near your vehicle;
- Do not leave your key fob in your vehicle;
- Never leave your windows open when you’re away from the car;
- Install an audible alarm system and a visible anti-theft device;
- Consider installing a GPS tracking system in your vehicle;
- Don’t leave valuable personal property in your car;
- Install a camera system in your driveway that records; and
- Always report suspicious activity. If you see something, say something.
— Background reporting by Tom Clancey.
