The police departments in Manalapan, Marlboro and Old Bridge have arrested one individual and are seeking additional suspects who targeted cars for burglaries and theft during a recent crime spree.
The Marlboro Police Department is investigating seven car burglaries and/or thefts that occurred between Aug. 18-19.
Capt. Fred Reck said there were five car burglaries and two stolen vehicles reported during the overnight hours of Aug. 18-19. He said all of the vehicles that were targeted were reportedly unlocked.
Vehicles burglaries took place on Deerfield Road (in a development off Crine Road), Station Road (between Crine Road and Route 79), Glen Court (in a development off Route 520) and Jackie Drive (two burglaries; same development near Glen Court).
Reck said one car was stolen on Autumn Hill Drive (off Station Road) and one car was stolen on Sinclair Court (off Crine Road). The stolen vehicles were a white 2018 BMW and a silver 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
“Our particular community has been targeted for this type of burglary,” Reck said. “Residents are not locking their cars and removing their key fobs from their vehicles, which makes it easier for vehicles to be stolen.”
Reck said the police department is investigating the incidents by reviewing available security footage and is asking residents to submit any security footage they may have from the areas that were targeted.
“It is more of a crime of opportunity rather than specific people being targeted,” he said. “The individual or individuals who did this know this particular area is more affluent and has more expensive cars, which makes [our residents] a target.”
Reck said residents should lock their vehicles and remove key fobs from the vehicles; make sure garage doors are locked; install security lighting such as motion sensors near the garage and on the driveway; and report any suspicious activity, such as seeing a vehicle driving slowly at late hours.
In Old Bridge, police are urging residents to lock their vehicles following the arrest of a juvenile from Newark who allegedly traveled to Old Bridge with a group of individuals looking to break into vehicles. Police said the group took an Uber ride to Old Bridge.
In the early morning hours of Aug. 15, police officers responded to a report of several black males pulling on door handles and looking into cars in the Sayrewoods South residential community off Route 9. At 3:37 a.m. officers apprehended and arrested one suspect – a juvenile from Newark.
Police found the juvenile in possession of items he had allegedly stolen from multiple vehicles. The juvenile was found to have warrants from Sussex and Essex counties, police said.
In addition to multiple car burglaries, there were also reports of two stolen vehicles in Old Bridge — a Nissan Rogue that was parked on Cindy Street and a Mazda 3 that was parked on Sioux Street, police said. Cindy Street is off Route 9 and Sioux Street is off Cindy Street.
Police reached out to residents on social media seeking any surveillance video taken between midnight and 5 a.m. Aug. 15 on Adams Street, Cindy Street, Sioux Street, Rittner Lane, Arden Court and Bushnell Road. Residents seeking more information may contact Old Bridge Detective Addie Spinola 732-721-5600, ext. 3181.
In Manalapan, police reported a burglary and theft of a motor vehicle. Police said that at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 16, a resident reported that sometime overnight an unknown individual entered his Blair Lane residence and removed the key fob to a white 2016 BMX X5. The vehicle was stolen from the garage. Also stolen were two Mac Book laptop computers. Blair Lane is off Taylors Mills Road.
