Town Of Deal 'Inundated' With Luxury Car Thefts, Prosecutor Says

DEAL, NJ — The tiny, wealthy town of Deal was "inundated" with luxury car thefts this summer and into September and October, said the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office on Friday.

Last month, Deal police were able to make several arrests. However, "the community needs to be aware that a reduction in car thefts is unlikely until careless owners begin to lock their vehicles," said Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni.

He said Monmouth has been suffering "an onslaught" of car thefts in 2020, and pointed to recent break-ups of car thieves targeting Marlboro and Freehold townships.

At around 10:18 a.m. on October 12, Deal Police responded to Parker Avenue for a report of a motor vehicle theft. While on scene, police were alerted to an additional motor vehicle theft on the same street.

Based on surveillance video, it was determined the two cars, a BMW and a Mercedes, were stolen in the early morning hours. Using Mercedes Benz tracking software, officers learned the stolen Mercedes Benz was driven north and ended up at a motel in Linden. Upon responding to the motel, the two stolen vehicles were located and secured.

The suspects were identified, as was the car they used to travel to and from Deal. However, no arrests were made on that date.

A few days later, in the early morning hours of October 15, another Deal police officer conducted a motor vehicle stop on a car speeding out of Asbury Park. Ultimately, it was determined that was the same car that been used to steal the Mercedes and BMW three days earlier.

Deal police, with the assistance of police in Brielle, were able to link the occupants to a motor vehicle burglary in Brielle earlier that morning. Three men, 18-year-old Jeron Pitt of Somerset, 18-year-old Ishmil Fate of Newark and 19-year-old Christopher Rodriguez, also of Newark, were all charged with second-degree theft, two counts of third-degree theft and two counts of third-degree attempted theft, as well as third-degree burglary in Brielle.

“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 the Monmouth County prosecutor. "Locking your doors and securing your keys will go a long way towards reducing these crimes."