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Stolen SUV Owner Admits Leaving Keys As North Jersey Thefts, Burglaries, Police Pursuits Rise

A Wyckoff resident whose SUV was stolen from his driveway admitted leaving the keys in a jacket pocket hanging in his unlocked garage overnight, authorities said.

Don't make it easy for thieves to steal your car, police say.

Don't make it easy for thieves to steal your car, police say.

Photo Credit: Boyd A. Loving (file photo)

The report comes as police in North Jersey continue to urge vehicle owners to stop making it so easy for thieves.

Officers who investigated the Wyckoff theft on Timberline Drive found the jacket missing along with the owner’s 2022 Ford Expedition, Police Lt. Joseph Soto said.

A 2021 BMW was also entered and $50 taken from the glove compartment, the lieutenant said.

Newark police found the Expedition abandoned in the city a short time later, he said.

Bergen and Passaic counties alone experience what feels like a vehicle theft or burglary a night. Pursuits have also increased dramatically since state authorities relaxed restrictions on the chases.

It was around 1 a.m. last week when a Village Place resident in Wyckoff reported an attempted burglary.

A Wyckoff patrol officer pursued a white BMW X3 that fled the scene, then terminated the chase as it sped onto southbound Route 208. Paramus police picked up the pursuit down the Garden State Parkway and into Newark.

They pulled back, as well, however, out of public safety concerns. Unconfirmed reports were that speeds reached 95 to 130 miles an hour.

Turns out the BMW had been stolen more than 80 miles and 90 minutes away in Brick Township earlier that same day, police said.

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