Video Of Car Stolen In Broad Daylight In Bridgewater: 24 Total Burglaries Reported

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A video caught a burglary stealing a car in broad daylight in Bridgewater on Monday. This brings the total of motor vehicle thefts to 24 reported over the past 13 months in the township.

The video shows someone running down a driveway to steal an unlocked BMW X7 while the family was inside their home.

Christine LeRiche Childs wanted to share the video of the theft caught on her home surveillance video to help anyone else avoid the same mistake.

This is one of 24 burglaries prompting police to warn residents to stay vigilant.

"In most of these incidents, either the key fob was left in an unlocked vehicle or the vehicle was left unattended while idling. A high number of these stolen vehicles were then used to commit crimes," said Bridgewater Police Captain Sean O'Neill.

Additionally, O'Neill said criminals are also entering unlocked vehicles and using the garage door to get inside the home, in some cases when the residents are inside.

These thefts have been occurring during the daytime and nighttime hours.

As a result, police are asking residents to lock their vehicles and not to leave the key fobs or keys in the vehicle.

"These criminals are trained how to ascertain if a key fob is left inside a parked vehicle from a distance away," said O'Neill.

Residents are also asked not to leave vehicles running unattended, even in your driveway.

"During the cold months, drivers commonly warm up their vehicles before leaving their residence. However, criminals also know this and look for these opportunities. Even if the key fob is removed from a running vehicle, it can still be driven away," said O'Neill.

If a vehicle is found to be locked, O'Neill said criminals will move on to other unlocked vehicles.

"They are searching for easy targets. Please be vigilant to make yourself less of a victim by locking your car and removing the key or key fob," said O'Neill.

The police are asking for the public for help in notifying them of suspicious activity by calling 908-722-4111.

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