If you see this in your neighborhood, call the police immediately.

Home invasions have increased in New Jersey
Most are linked to the theft of high-end vehicles.
If you see this in your neighborhood, call the police immediately.

High-end vehicle thefts continue to be a major problem in New Jersey and increasingly lead to dangerous home invasions.

Local authorities in many parts of the Garden State have seen a steady increase in car thieves breaking into homes in an effort to locate vehicle key fobs.

On average, nearly two cars are stolen every hour of every day in New Jersey.

The head of the Newark FBI office warns that auto theft is being driven by sophisticated criminal enterprises that use high-end vehicles to finance terrorism, including groups that have ties to ISIS.

Jim Dennehy, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Newark office, says investigators are now seeing more high-end vehicles being sent overseas to help finance terrorist organizations.

“It’s an easy way to get money overseas and it’s very difficult for federal agencies to detect,” Dennehy said in an interview with New Jersey 101.5.

New Jersey is a rich breeding ground for this type of criminal enterprise. The state is densely populated, contains a large number of high-end vehicles, and its proximity to multiple seaports makes this type of crime easier to facilitate.

Dennehy says vehicles are being sent to “mainly West African countries” to provide funding to terrorist organizations, including ISIS.

After being stolen in New Jersey, vehicles are often sent to a broker in the Bronx, then placed in a shipping container and shipped to Africa or the Middle East as quickly as possible.

South Brunswick Police Issue Urgent Warning

On at least three occasions over the past month, South Brunswick police say residents have reported attempted break-ins.

The thieves tried to break in through a first-floor window, but fled when the homeowners screamed and called 9-1-1. The robbery attempts occurred between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Police say the thieves targeted the Beekman Manor and Deans Pond Crossings developments and appear to have been looking for high-end vehicles to steal.

Detective Sgt. Timothy Hoover said in a statement: “If they see the car they want, they will try to break into the house in hopes of finding the key fob.”

Police in New Jersey continue to report similar events and urge residents to be vigilant.

Tips to protect your car/home

According to police, a few simple steps can help protect your vehicle and property.

Thieves prefer easy targets, so making it difficult to access your vehicle or the interior of your home can make them pass you by.

If possible, park your vehicle in a locked garage.
Do not leave keychains in visible places
Install surveillance cameras and floodlights around your property

Call the police immediately if you see this.

Car thieves often patrol neighborhoods in search of high-end vehicles.

Crews of two or more will be inside a vehicle as they drive around looking for the easiest targets.

Once they identify the vehicle they want, they will first check to see if a remote control has been left in the vehicle. Otherwise, they may try to enter the home looking for it.

This can happen very quickly, often in less than three to five minutes.

Police say if you see an unknown vehicle driving slowly through your neighborhood, call police immediately. If possible, write down the make, model, color, and license plate number of the suspect vehicle.

Many local police departments have installed license plate readers around city limits to help officers identify suspicious vehicles and stop them before criminals can commit a crime.

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