Car Thieves In Parsippany Now Entering Homes, Garages: Police

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The Parsippany Police Department warned of a turn in tactics from people trying to steal vehicles. Three of these incidents occurred in the past week, according to local authorities.

"Criminals are checking vehicles (usually high-end ones) parked in a driveway," Parsippany PD wrote on Facebook, "and instead of pulling on the vehicle door handle to see if they are locked or unlocked and walking away, they are now checking the house doors and sometimes windows if the vehicle is found to be locked."

These incidents typically occur between 1 and 6 a.m., police said. The following occurred in the past week, according to Parsippany PD:

• An unknown suspect tried entering the front door of an Alan Drive house early Monday morning, but the door was locked, police said.
• Shortly after that incident, an unknown suspect entered an occupied home on Mitchell Road, according to authorities. While inside, they found a set of keys, which allowed them to steal the vehicle. The homeowner woke up after their dog barked, and he witnessed his vehicle getting driven away.
• Last week, an occupied house on Lord Stirling Drive had the garage open. Someone entered the house but left once the alarm sounded and alerted residents, police said.

Police also noticed similar tactics occurring last month.

"Although these incidents happened in the same section of town, they can, and do happen in other areas as well," the police agency said. "We strongly encourage our residents to lock their vehicles, utilize alarm systems with motion detection, lock exterior doors and interior garage doors, and have security lighting activated at night to help deter these criminals."

Police encouraged the public to contact them if they see anything suspicious. Parsippany PD's non-emergency line is 973-263-4300 ext. 0. Call 911 for emergencies.