2 Men Behind String Of Monmouth County Car Thefts, Police Say

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A North Brunswick man has been arrested after New Jersey State Police say he and an accomplice, a West Orange man, were behind numerous commercial burglaries and car thefts in Middlesex and Monmouth counties, and in Pennsylvania in the past six months.

Leon Lowery, 42, of North Brunswick and Ishawn Redd, 39, of West Orange were arrested. The investigation was dubbed “Operation Hellcat.”

State Police first started investigating in March 2019, after a string of commercial burglaries took place in Howell Township, in Monmouth County. The suspects appeared to be targeting check cashing facilities, scrap metal yards and convenience stores in the Howell area, said police.

That was when State Police first identified Redd and Lowery as the suspects. They were linked to additional commercial burglaries and car thefts in Monmouth and Middlesex counties and in Pennsylvania.

This past September, State Police executed search warrants at Lowery’s home in North Brunswick and Redd’s home in West Orange. Police said they seized four stolen vehicles (a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, an Audi A7, Dodge Ram 3500 and a Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG), burglary tools, 169 THC vape cartridges, a .40 caliber handgun, a .45 caliber handgun and more than $15,300 cash.

Two days later, State Police raided an East Orange storage facility that had been rented by Lowery. Inside, police said they found a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee, four ounces of methamphetamine, more than 500 grams of Xanax pills, more than 50 grams of marijuana and ecstasy.

Redd was charged with receiving stolen property and removal or altering of vehicle identification numbers.

Lowery was charged with the following:

· Operating a facility for sale of stolen motor vehicle parts
· Removal or altering of vehicle identification numbers
· Receiving stolen property
· Burglary
· Theft
· Unlawful possession of a weapon
· Possession of prohibited weapons
· Certain persons not to possess a weapon
· Possession of CDS with the intent to distribute
· Possession of marijuana

Detectives believe that Lowery and Redd may have committed additional commercial burglaries and thefts throughout New Jersey in 2019. Anyone who may be a victim is asked to contact the Strategic Investigations Unit Central at 609-584-5000, ext. 5351. Anonymous tips are welcome.