4 Juveniles In Custody After Alleged Hazlet Car Theft Attempt: PD

HAZLET, NJ - Four juveniles were taken into police custody early Tuesday morning following an investigation into three unlawfully entered vehicles in Hazlet, authorities said.

In an Oct. 27 social media post, the Hazlet Township Police Department alerted residents of an attempted vehicle burglary in the area of Racoon Drive around 2:13 a.m. on Tuesday. Two other vehicles on Deer Street were later determined to have been unlawfully entered as well.

At the scene, officers from the department, along with K-9 Rico, located a 15-year-old male from Elizabeth during a search of the area. The male was taken into custody and charged with burglary of a motor vehicle and a violation of the township’s curfew, according to the post.

The 15-year-old was released to a parent pending juvenile court proceedings.

Related: 2 Individuals Linked To 100 Monmouth County Car Burglaries: Cops

Three additional juveniles, two 17-year-olds and a 14-year-old from Newark and Elizabeth, were taken into custody as well. The three juveniles were issued curfew violations and released to guardians.

The investigation is ongoing, authorities said.

The incident serves as the latest report of attempted car theft/burglary in Monmouth County.

In 2020 alone, more than 180 luxury cars have been stolen out of driveways in the county, an increase of over 64 percent over 2019, according to News 12 New Jersey. Luxury vehicles taken out of the area are then taken to Essex County and sold for parts or sold on the black market. Authorities have even reported stolen vehicles all the way to South America.

Per the report, the No. 1 cause of theft is residents leaving key fob in unlocked vehicles.

It was not immediately clear if the vehicles involved in the Tuesday report in Hazlet were left unlocked.

“We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to lock your car doors and take your keys inside,” the Hazlet Township Police Department wrote on Tuesday. “During the last several months we have had officers increasing their patrolling of neighborhoods at night time and they have been routinely stationed at the train station in an attempt to stop these crimes. Please help us keep our community safe!”

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