8 Suburban NJ Towns Targeted In Luxury Car Thefts

In the past 30 days, a string of wealthy suburban New Jersey towns have been hit by more than a dozen car thefts, with five cars stolen in just the past week alone. Cars have been stolen in Chatham, Warren, Clark, Woodbridge, Middletown, Holmdel, Colts Neck and Spring Lake — often right out of the owner's driveway.

The thefts have many similarities: The cars being stolen are all high-end, luxury vehicles, such as BMWs, Range Rovers and Audis. Many of the cars were left unlocked with the key fob inside. However, frighteningly, two of the thefts this week happened at gunpoint, while the owner was sitting inside the car.

New Jersey State Police would not confirm if they were investigating the thefts as connected. Vehicle thefts are also nothing new. But what is new is the increasing use of sophisticated app technology by criminals to locate key fobs.

"In all of the stolen vehicles the keyless transmitter fob had been left in the vehicle," Chatham police said. "Criminals are now using a new mobile app to find out whether you left your key fob in your vehicle. The app allows them to locate transmitter fobs up to 400 feet away."

It's as simple as criminals driving down a quiet suburban street at night with the app turned on. All key fobs transmit a signal to the car's computer, telling the car the key fob is in range. The app, which is illegal, picks up that signal, letting car thieves know their getaway keys are close at hand.

"There are electronic devices sold on the black market that can be used to drive down a road and detect these signals," said Clark 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, which was hit by a rash of car thefts this summer.

"There are always car-theft rings in operation. Federal authorities will dismantle one and 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."

In 2014, federal law enforcement agents dismantled a major international car trafficking ring that operated out of Port Newark. 19 Essex County men were arrested as part of the ring. The ring targeted high-end vehicles, particularly SUVs made by Land Rover, Mercedes Benz and BMW. The goal was always to obtain a car with its key fob, which was critical to its resale value. Of the roughly 160 stolen vehicles recovered, 140 were found at Port Newark, Port Elizabeth and Howland Hook Seaport in Staten Island.

"Once they get the stolen car in the container, the people running these rings come up with paperwork to make it look all very legitimate. The cars are sold overseas with no questions asked," said Lamon. "They are very, very good at what they do. And the guys in charge don't even have to get their hands dirty by actually stealing the cars. That's the lowest-level part of the operation."

All the recent incidents:

Thursday, Oct. 12, Chatham: Two high-end cars were stolen Thursday, one in Chatham borough and another in Chatham Township. One homeowner told police he was awoken at 6:45 a.m. to the sound of his BMW starting. He looked out the window to see the car speeding away. The car had been left unlocked with the key fob inside. That same morning, a 2017 Audi was stolen from a driveway in Chatham Township.

Wednesday, Oct. 11, Clark: At about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, a resident was sitting in his 2012 BMW in the driveway of his Lake Avenue home when two men approached with handguns. The victim was unharmed and the BMW was recovered in Newark later that same day.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, Holmdel: A Range Rover was stolen overnight from a driveway on Crape Myrtle Drive. The Range Rover had been left unlocked, with the key fob inside. Several other unlocked cars on nearby streets (Crimson King Drive, Cindy Court and Tranquility Court) were broken into, but the Range Rover was the only one stolen.

Sunday, Oct. 8, Warren: An unlocked 2015 Porsche was stolen from the driveway of a home on Old Smalleytown Road. Video surveillance showed the car was taken at approximately 2:20 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7, Spring Lake: In the early morning hours, a Porsche Panamera and a Maserati were stolen from two homes in Spring Lake. The cars were sitting unlocked in the driveways, with the keys inside.

Saturday, Oct. 7, Woodbridge: As she got out her Range Rover at about 6:30 Saturday night, a woman was approached by two men in the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby on Rt. 1. One of the men showed a gun and demanded her keys. The SUV was recovered a few days later in Newark.

September, Middletown: Middletown police confirmed that they, too, have had incidents of high-end car theft, but did not release dates or specific locations.

Friday Sept. 29, Colts Neck: Sometime late Friday night a resident of Country Meadow Drive in Colts Neck reported that their white 2017 Jaguar XJ was stolen from their driveway. The vehicle had been left unlocked with the key fob inside.

Monday, Sept. 25, Holmdel: A resident reported their 2017 Audi was stolen from their driveway on Fox Hunt Road sometime overnight.

Thursday, Sept. 14, Holmdel: Two unlocked cars were stolen from a singular driveway off Seven Oaks Circle.

Earlier this summer:

Saturday, July 29, Sparta: Three cars were stolen in Sparta in July, the most recent on July 29 when a 2016 Mercedes Benz GLA 350 was stolen out of a driveway. Police said the car was unlocked with the key fob left inside.

Monday, July 10, Princeton: A 2017 Toyota Highlander and a 2015 Mercedes Benz ML2 were both taken from the driveway of a home on Finley Road. Additionally, a silver 2009 Audi A6 was stolen from the driveway of a home on Allison Street. The key fobs had been left inside all three of the stolen cars.

Don't become a crime victim:

Always lock your car and don't leave any key fobs inside the vehicle. Even locking your car and hanging the key fob by your front door may not be enough, as the signal is still within range to be picked up.

Top image via Shutterstock; middle image via Pixabay