JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Across America, police departments are issuing the same warning to residents night after night. Lock your car doors and bring your key fob into your house. Still, each day, hundreds of cars nationwide are stolen because many car owners are doing neither.
In Jackson Township, New Jersey, two homeowners learned the hard way and left several of their vehicles unsecured in their driveway.
“The Jackson Police Department is again reminding residents to lock their vehicles and not to leave the keys inside when parked after additional motor vehicle thefts occurred this past weekend,” the Jackson Police Department, who give regular reminders to residents said.
Police here said that on Monday, at 4:29 am, Police Officer Nicholas Kokich responded to a Mill Pond Road residence on the report of a vehicle theft. The resident reported that he had received a Ring alert on his phone several minutes earlier and saw two unidentified males walk up to his driveway, enter his 2018 Dodge Durango and drive away with it.
It was reported that the key fob had been left in the vehicle overnight. The vehicle was entered as a stolen vehicle and the department was notified later by the Newark Police Department that it had been impounded after being involved in a motor vehicle crash in Newark and abandoned.
On this same date at 5:02 am, P.O. Stephen Purtell responded to a Mill Pond Road residence after headquarters was contacted by the Freehold Township Police Department that they had recovered a 2013 Maserati which had been involved in a motor vehicle crash and abandoned on the roadway. Upon making contact with the homeowner, the officer was advised that the vehicle had been parked in the driveway, unlocked with the key inside when it was stolen by unknown suspects.
The investigation also revealed that 2 other vehicles owned by the victim were parked unsecured in the driveway were entered and approximately $2,000.00 in cash was stolen.
Also on this date at 7:25 am, P.O. James Hendrick responded to a Plasner Court residence on the report of a motor vehicle theft that had taken place during the overnight hours. The resident reported that a 2018 Audi A5 was stolen from the driveway. It was reported that the key fob had been left inside the vehicle.