5 Teens Charged In Auto-Theft Ring In South Jersey: Police

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, NJ — A boy sleeping in a stolen vehicle led to five teens getting charged in relation to auto burglaries Sunday in South Jersey, authorities said. Police believe they're part of a "larger entity" responsible for the thefts of several vehicles in the tri-state area.

At about 4 a.m. Sunday, Harrison Township police received word of several masked males walking throughout the area in the Leigh Court Estates development in Mullica Hill, Gloucester County. That's where they found a masked individual sleeping inside a 2022 Kia Sorento, which later turned out to be stolen from Wilmington, Delaware, authorities said.

The vehicle occupant was a 15-year-old resident of Middletown, Delaware, who was wanted out of New Castle County, Delaware, police said. He was charged with being a fugitive of justice, conspiracy to commit burglary and receiving stolen property.

Officers received several more calls referencing suspicious males throughout the area and located four additional suspects. The following people were charged with burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary:

• a 13-year-old from Wilmington, Delaware
• a 15-year-old Wilmington resident
• a 16-year-old Wilmington resident who was wanted out of Chester, Pennsylvania
• Semaj Lloyd, 18, of Wilmington, who was wanted out of New Castle County, Delaware

The wanted persons were also charged with being fugitives of justice.