Police: Still More Car Break-Ins

There’s been a spike in car break-ins in Livingston, with five more reported to Livingston Police in recent days.

Cars left unlocked are the targets of the crimes now happening in much of the state, said Detective Sgt. Anthony Dippold.

 “We think it’s several groups now,” Dippold said.

The thieves are looking for valet keys and key fobs left inside glove compartments and consoles. Municipalities have reported a rash of break-ins, including Livingston, in numbers not seen in recent years, Dippold said.

Police are warning Livingston residents to lock their cars. While the intent is to steal the car, in many of the crimes, personal items and car accessories like portable GPS units are being taken, police said.

Don’t make it easy, police say. Lock your doors and take your keys with you.

On Thursday morning, two cars left unlocked in a driveway on Billingsley Drive were ransacked, the homeower reported. A portable GPS unit was taken from a 2011 Chevy Equinox. A Lincoln LS was also searched but nothing was taken, Dippold said.

On Saturday morning, a homeowner of Dellmead Drive saw someone sitting in his car, a 2010 Cadillac parked unlocked in his driveway, Dippold said.

A red vehicle was parked in the street in front of the home occupied by several individuals, Dippold said. When the man called out, the suspect ran from the Cadillac and took off in the red vehicle. The homeower was able to get the license plate number of the red 2004 Infinity, which had been reported stolen from Montclair.

Roseland police spotted and chased the vehicle on Eisenhower Parkway and Route 280 East, but ended the pursuit because the stolen vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed, Dippold said.

Also on Saturday, homeowners reported break-ins of two vehicles in separate incidents on Ross Road. At the first house, a portable GPS was taken from an unlocked 2010 Acura. A portable GPS was also taken from a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which police believe was left unlocked, Dippold said.