CLOSTER, N.J.—Just how big of a problem is it that local residents keep leaving their cars unlocked with the keys inside?
In one example, during an incident on Feb. 4, police were pursuing two stolen vehicles when one crashed, while the other fled towards Route 9W. The occupants of the vehicle that crashed then fled on foot, only to make their getaway after finding another unlocked vehicle with its key fob inside at a large estate in Alpine.
That’s according to Closter Police Detective Keith Dombkowski, who said last week that police arrested one suspect in the Feb. 4 incident after a five-month investigation.
The case illustrates the ongoing problem for local law enforcement, with Closter police reporting two more stolen vehicles in the borough’s East Hill neighborhood on July 12.
“The Borough of Closter has been plagued with stolen high-end motor vehicles over the past two years,” said Dombkowski.
‘Big Business’
Criminal actors continue to target Bergen County’s suburbs searching for luxury cars to steal.
Even after then-New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced indictments against four Newark men in 2017—including for a car stolen in Closter—the incidents escalated.
“These men [named in the 2017 indictments] allegedly scoured wealthy residential areas for the luxury cars they prized, typically stealing them right from their owners’ driveways,” Porrino said in August 2017. “This was big business for these defendants…”
Then-Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal (now New Jersey’s attorney general) announced December 2017 that a crime spree was underway, reporting 30 stolen car incidents in one month. He said then that car thieves check driveways for unlocked vehicles, simply driving off if the car starts.
“…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,” Tenafly Police Capt. Michael deMoncada told Northern Valley Press in September 2017.
Porrino said, at the time, that stolen cars are driven to random locations and left to “cool off” until perpetrators can be sure there is no GPS tracking unit; then, the cars are sold domestically or shipped overseas.
Meanwhile local police from throughout the region continue to tell Northern Valley Press about stolen car incidents, which we’ve cataloged here.
Staying On The Case
The suspect in the Feb. 4 incident was captured in Jersey City after the Closter Police Detective Bureau secured a signed arrest warrant, Dombkowski said.
Closter police and the Jersey City Police Street Crimes Unit arrested Justin Howard of Jersey City and charged him with eluding, receiving stolen property and resisting arrest, Dombkowski said.
Howard was arrested in front of a vacant property in the south district of Jersey City July 23 and was lodged in Bergen County Jail, Dombkowski said.
Police routinely work together to stay on the lookout for stolen vehicles, using modern databases and old-fashioned detective work to locate the cars.
Relating to the July 12 incident, both stolen vehicles were located and recovered, one in Maplewood and the other in Irvington, Dombkowski said. During this incident, the actors even used a garage door opener inside one of the stolen vehicles to open the resident’s garage and to check for more vehicles, Dombkowski said.
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.
