2 Charged After Stolen Dealership Car Seen In Stafford: Police

STAFFORD, NJ — Two Toms River men were charged after being caught in a car stolen from Lester Glenn Hyundai, police said.

Stafford police said they were alerted to a red 2021 Hyundai Tucson driving east on Route 72 in the early morning hours of Jan. 17.

Police found the car in the Exxon parking lot with two men, Eli Angel Perez (21) and Kevin C. Downes (30) sitting inside. It was confirmed that the car was stolen from Lester Glenn Hyundai in Toms River and the two were taken into custody, police said.

A joint investigation between Stafford and Toms River police found that Perez and Downes had also stolen a white 2020 Hyundai Tucson, an additional New Jersey registration and had committed several motor vehicle burglaries from the Lester Glenn dealership, police said.

The stolen cars and property were recovered and returned to their owners, police said.

Both men were charged with two counts of receiving a stolen vehicle and two counts of receiving stolen property. They sit in Ocean County Jail, pending a future court appearance.