Three Newark Men Charged In String Of Marlboro Car Thefts

MARLBORO, NJ — On Tuesday morning, Marlboro police announced they arrested three people who they say are responsible for a string of car thefts and car break-ins in Marlboro Township last summer.

All the cars that were stolen last summer had been left unlocked with the key fob inside, said police.

Marlboro Twp. police made the arrests last week. The three men are:

• Desean Lewis, 24, Newark, charged with 22 counts of burglary, six counts of theft, one count of receiving stolen property and one count of obstruction.
• Christopher Leake, 19, Newark, charged with six counts of burglary, two counts of theft, one count of receiving stolen property and one count of obstruction.
• Nahji Mayes, 23, Newark, charged with one count of theft and two counts of burglary.

Leake was already incarcerated on other charges, and the U.S. Marshall's Task Force helped Marlboro PD arrest Lewis and Mayes. Both men were committed to the Monmouth County jail in Freehold.

The Marlboro detectives involved in the case included Detective Sergeant Jon Gramcko, Detective Edward Ungrady and Detective Michael Pecoraro.

Marlboro police remind residents to always lock car doors, take their key fobs inside, and even keep them far away from the car. As Patch previously reported, some criminals use apps that can detect when an electronic key fob is within range — or inside — of a car. So a key fob hanging on a hook near the back door can be detected.

"Criminals are now using a new mobile app to find out whether you left your key fob in your vehicle," said Chatham police in 2017. "The app allows them to locate transmitter fobs up to 400 feet away."

"There are electronic devices sold on the black market that can be used to drive down a road and detect these signals," said Clark (Union County) Police Chief Pedro Matos.

Car thieves also use Google Earth, so they can troll suburban neighborhoods from afar and actually zoom in to see what kind of cars are parked in driveways, said police Lt. John Lamon of Sparta (Sussex County).

"There are always car-theft rings in operation. Federal authorities will dismantle one and a new one will pop up to take its place the next day," said Lamon. "It's because there is so much money to be made off selling the stolen cars. The cars are first taken to a quiet area to 'cool off' so they can't be tracked, such as a side street in Newark or a big parking lot, like an airport parking lot. From there, they are taken to the Elizabeth container port, where they are loaded into cargo containers and shipped to West Africa. That's where stolen luxury cars are commonly sold."