Union Township police have issued a warning to residents about a suspected auto theft ring following multiple incidents in recent weeks.

News 12 has learned that thieves went after the same area in Larchmont twice, with police adding these people may be the same thieves that have struck throughout the Interstate 78 West Corridor, heading from Newark to the Pennsylvania border.

The desired vehicle targeted was a BMW X3M competition package valued at $104,000.

“The message is getting through,” said Union Township Police Deputy Chief Scott Breslow. “So, the car was locked, and the fob was inside the house. They broke into the house, we believe, trying to get the key fob to go steal the car.”

The other incidents that were reported late last week happened in Cranford and Berkeley Heights.

"There is a group of criminals centered in Essex County traveling around the state looking to steal high end vehicles,” added Breslow. “If they see an expensive desirable vehicle, they will try to steal it, even if it means breaking into a home,”

The state has seen increasing reports over the last two years of thieves either using fobs left in cars to steal them or breaking into homes to get the fobs from inside...a special state police unit pursuing interstate car thieves.

"The Kia TikTok challenge is fueling a lot of the recent activity,” says Breslow.

Kia and Hyundai have settled for $200 million a class action lawsuit that sought to hold the car markers responsible for the design of the vehicles contributing to increased theft numbers.