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It’s happening everywhere: Bandits prowl North Jersey neighborhoods overnight, when most vehicle owners are sleeping, and test door handles. If a vehicle is locked, they keep moving. If it’s not, they get to work.
In rapid succession in Tenafly:
- A 2017 Lexus sedan was stolen from an Oak Street resident’s driveway;
- An unlocked 2012 Infiniti sedan was stolen from a Woodland Street resident’s driveway;
- A pair of Coach sunglasses was stolen from an unlocked 2018 Mercedes Benz SUV on Elm Street (Home video surveillance shows the thief getting into the vehicle around 4:15 a.m., police said);
- A garage door remote was taken from a 2019 Jeep on Brook Road (Home video surveillance shows another vehicle stopping at the end of the driveway around 3:20 a.m. and a thief opening the garage door after taking it, police said);
- Two vehicles were burglarized at the same Mayflower Drive residence.
“These crimes usually happen during the overnight hours and appear to involve criminal groups from Newark using previously stolen cars to travel to our community in search of unlocked vehicles with keys or fobs left inside,” Capt. Michael deMoncada said.
“Thieves will steal any valuables from an unlocked car, and if a key or key fob is found, they will steal the vehicle from the driveway,” he said.
“While home surveillance cameras may deter some thieves, they are not guaranteed to prevent crimes,” the captain added. “To prevent identification, thieves obscure their face or rely on the fact that most cameras do not have high-enough resolution to capture accurate facial features at a distance, especially under low-light conditions.”
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GONE IN 90 SECONDS (VIDEO): Watch How Car Thieves Steal Unlocked Vehicles In Bergen, Elsewhere
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Police are patrolling the streets through the night, but they can’t be everywhere at once.
“We encourage our residents to assist us by immediately reporting suspicious activity to us by calling our police desk, 24/7, at (201) 568-5100,” deMoncada said.
He added yet another reminder: “Please remember: The most effective way to prevent these thefts is to remove all valuables, keys (and fobs), and to lock your car.”
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ALSO SEE: High-Speed Overnight Stolen-Vehicle Chases Continue Through Bergen, Passaic, Essex
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