New Jersey law enforcement officers have been busy of late investigating several reports of vehicle theft this month. Earlier this month a 23-year-old man was arrested on theft charges in Maplewood.
Maplewood Police received a report that someone was attempting to steal a car that was parked on Brookwood Drive. The owner of a vehicle had called the police after he saw a man sitting behind the wheel of his car. When the officers responded to the scene, they saw a young man running from the vehicle towards Laurel Avenue.
The officers chased the young man down the street, caught him and brought him into custody. Once in custody, the police determined the 23-year-old’s identity. The man was from Irvington, New Jersey. The owner of the vehicle positively identified the young man as the person he saw sitting behind the wheel of the car. The young man was charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools.
On the same day, Dec. 16, a second vehicle was reported stolen. This time, the owner of a 2007 Mitsubishi filed a report stating that his car had been parked on Hillcrest Road. The owner of the vehicle said that the theft must have occurred between 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 and 9 a.m. on Dec. 15 when the vehicle was not in use or being watched.
A third vehicle was reported stolen from the area on Dec. 20. The vehicle was a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee that had been parked in her driveway on Jacoby Street. The female owner gave a description of a young man she believes she saw get in the vehicle and drive it away.
The New Jersey man arrested in connection with the first incident could face serious charges. While there are no charges pending for the second and third incidents, it does not mean that they are being ignored. Police are most certainly investigating the reports and building a pool of suspects they think fit the description.
Source: Maplewood Patch, “Police Make Arrest in Burglary to Vehicle; Two Cars Stolen,” Dec. 26, 2011