Gone In 20 Minutes: Locked Car Stolen From Short Hills Mall, Police Say

MILLBURN, NJ — The Millburn police said that a woman's car was stolen from the Short Hills Mall parking lot in a 20-minute time span on Tuesday evening.

Police said that on Tuesday, April 11, at 5:21 p.m., Officer Jezewski responded to the Mall at Short Hills on a report of theft of a vehicle. The reporting person stated that her 2018 Grand Cherokee SRT had been stolen between 4 p.m. and 4:20 p.m. from parking Lot J. The vehicle had been locked and the owner had the key fob, police said.

The vehicle was later recovered in East Orange, police said. This incident remains under investigation by the Millburn Police Detective Bureau.

Man Arrested For Car Break-Ins At The Mall

Earlier that day, at 11 a.m., Officer Jezewski had responded to the mall on a report of a burglary to a vehicle. The victim reported that at 11 a.m., she had discovered that her Honda CR-V had been entered and her purse had been stolen.

Police said someone also had entered two additional vehicles at the mall.

Officer Jezewski and Detective Royce conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of Andri Valdez, 21, of Paterson, police said.

Valdez was charged with three counts of burglary, and two counts of credit card fraud and theft. He remains in the custody of New Jersey State Police on a felony warrant, police said.