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Fate intervened, however -- or, rather, the Saddle River Police Department.
Officers Greg Bulick and Det. Michael Cooper stopped the 2015 Land Rover on northbound Route 17 for having tinted windows, among other violations, Police 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, the chief said Wednesday, Aug. 30.
The VIN numbers didn't match, either, he said.
Turns out the Land Rover had been stolen some 45 to 50 miles away -- from the New Canaan, CT train station -- -- seven years ago.
A news report from the Oct. 11 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.
SEE: Police Seek Help ID’ing Pair Who Stole Land Rover from New Canaan Train Station Lot
Alexander Soto, 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.
It hasn't been confirmed yet, but police suspect that Soto is the man in the 2016 photo.
(In case you're wondering: The general statute of limitation time limits in Connecticut are five years for felonies and one year for all other offenses.)
Cosgriff said his officers impounded the Land Rover and contacted their New Canaan counterparts.
"It looks like it will go back to the insurance company after all this and they will handle it," the chief said.
He thanked Paramus police and the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force for their assistance.
"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," the chief said.
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