NJ home break-ins, key fob thefts lead to stolen luxury vehicles

🔴 Thieves are entering New Jersey homes looking for keyfobs

🔴 They easily get in through unlocked doors

🔴 Eight luxury vehicles have been stolen in the past six months

Police in West Orange are warning of a double threat of burglars breaking into homes looking for key fobs in order to more easily steal cars.

Thieves are targeting homes with high-end vehicles and have stolen vehicles from at least eight homes in the past six months, according to West Orange police. The homes were entered via unlocked front and rear doors in most cases, unlocked windows or a garage door. Only one home was forcibly entered.

In the most recent break-in, thieves broke into a house on Eagle Rock Avenue through an unlocked and partially open window around 3:30 a.m. The key fob for the homeowner's 2019 Audi Q8 was located and stolen.

Three days earlier thieves got into a house and found the key fob to a BMW 530 on the living room sofa and took the vehicle.

Beyond West Orange

The thefts are not limited to West Orange. Livingston has had six attempted break-ins and car thefts in the past week, according to West Orange police.

"We always remind people to close their windows, lock car doors, take all valuables out of vehicles," Chief James Abbott said in a statement. "Even keep outside lights on all night."

South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said 29 catalytic converters were stolen in 10 days from cars at homes which he called part of an  "epidemic of thefts in New Jersey."

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