4 Essex Car Thieves Arrested By Freehold, Marlboro PD: Prosecutor

FREEHOLD, NJ - Four individuals from Essex County were arrested Sunday for their alleged involvement in a string of car thefts in Freehold and Marlboro, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

“Car thieves have been feasting on a smorgasbord of high-end vehicles in Monmouth County’s
affluent neighborhoods, but they are about to find out the buffet is closed. State, county and local law enforcement officers are working diligently and are focused on ending the feeding frenzy,” Prosecutor Gramiccioni said.

During the early morning hours of Nov. 8, Marlboro police were alerted to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Morganville section of town. While police determined the suspected thieves entered a motor vehicle parked in a resident’s driveway and attempted to enter
another vehicle parked outside of the same resident’s home, they were unable to locate the actors.

Several hours later, the same vehicle was reportedly traveling around Morganville, attempting to take other area vehicles. Marlboro police notified officers in Freehold Township as the dark Maserati occupied by multiple males may have been entering their jurisdiction and it was suspected they were attempting to steal motor vehicles.

Shortly after this notification, a Freehold Township police officer observed a vehicle matching the description on Rustic Way heading towards his patrol car, “causing him to have to make evasive maneuvers to escape being struck,” according to the prosecutor’s office.

Although the Freehold officer attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop, the vehicle failed to stop and fled at a high rate of speed travelling north on Route 79. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle crashed and rolled over several times. Four males from the vehicle were subsequently arrested, with one other male still at-large. After apprehending the actors, police determined that the crashed vehicle, a 2016 maroon Maserati Ghibli, was stolen the prior day in Irvington.

The four individuals, who all hail from Newark in Essex County, were charged with various crimes in both towns. Police charged 19-year-old Sharrod Rodgers and 18-year-old Isaiah Davis with third degree burglary, two counts of third degree attempted burglary, second degree receiving stolen property and fourth degree resisting arrest.

Aziz McCloud, 18, was similarly charged. However, after police determined he was the driver of the stolen vehicle, the Newark man was additionally charged with second degree eluding, third degree aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and third degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance (cocaine).

The fourth vehicle occupant was charged on a juvenile delinquency complaint. He was released to a guardian.

If convicted of a second degree crime, each individual faces a sentence of five to ten years in a
New Jersey state prison for each count. If convicted of a third degree crime, each individual faces a sentence of three to five years in state prison for each count. If convicted of a fourth degree crime, each faces up to an additional 18 months in state prison.

“While not all of these motor vehicle thefts are committed on unlocked cars, it appears these
thieves continue to target high-end motor vehicles, whose owners continue to leave their cars unlocked with their key fob inside,” said Prosecutor Gramiccioni. “Locking your doors and securing your keys will go a long way towards reducing these crimes. While police officers across Monmouth County have relentlessly investigated these high-end thefts, the community needs to be aware that a reduction in car thefts is unlikely until careless owners begin to lock their vehicles.”