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Fate intervened, however -- or, rather, the Saddle River Police Department in Bergen County, New Jersey.
Officers stopped the 2015 Land Rover on northbound Route 17 for having tinted windows, among other violations, Saddle River PD Chief Jason Cosgriff said.
They quickly noticed some inconsistencies, he said.
The vehicle had a temporary Georgia license plate for a 2019 Range Rover, for one thing, Cosgriff said on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
The VIN numbers didn't match, either, he said.
Turns out the Land Rover had been stolen some 45 miles away -- from the New Canaan train station -- -- seven years ago.
A news report from the Oct. 11, 2016 theft included a surveillance photo of the stolen Land Rover and a description of a couple who pulled up into the station lot and took it.
The keys had been left inside, New Canaan police said at the time.
Earlier report: Police Seek Help ID’ing Pair Who Stole Land Rover from New Canaan Train Station Lot
Alexander Soto, age 51, of New York City was taken into custody after telling the Saddle River officers conflicting stories of how he bought the vehicle, Cosgriff said Wednesday.
They charged Soto with receiving stolen property and released him pending a hearing, the chief said.
Cosgriff said his officers impounded the Land Rover and contacted their New Canaan counterparts.
"This crime wave of high-end car thefts continues to be a problem," Cosgriff noted.
Not only are thieves taking vehicles whose owners have left the fobs behind, he said. Some are even slipping into homes and stealing the fobs before snatching the rides.
"We remind residents to remove their key fobs and not only lock all of their vehicle doors but also lock their homes," Cosgriff said.
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