Authorities: Teens accused of stealing car in NYC could be connected to additional thefts

Two teenagers accused of stealing cars are now under arrest. Authorities say it is possible that both are connected to a slew of car thefts reaching from New York City down to Monmouth County.

News 12 Staff

Sep 30, 2022, 11:56 PM

Updated 742 days ago

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Two teenagers accused of stealing cars are now under arrest. Authorities say it is possible that both are connected to a slew of car thefts reaching from New York City down to Monmouth County.
Authorities say the teens are from Newark. Their names have not been released because of their age. They are 16 and 17 years old.
Police in Middletown tell News 12 New Jersey that the pair could be connected to several cases of solen cars. But there is also a chance they are connected to cases around the state.
The teens are currently accused of stealing an Audi Q8 SUV out of New York City. They were arrested by the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force. Both are charged with receiving stolen property and burglary.
Police have also confirmed that they are suspected of several thefts in Middletown. They say they are investigating if the teens are connected to a stolen car reported on Sailors Way when a BMX X3 was taken from a house.
Ten days later, on Mohican Drive, a Ford Explorer ST was stolen from a home. Both of those cars were recovered in Newark.
"The alarming rise in auto theft poses a serious risk to public safety. Car thieves, who are often juveniles, have become increasingly reckless, entering garages and homes in broad daylight to retrieve key fobs and driving at extremely high rates of speed…” Middletown Police Chief Craig Weber said in a statement.
In addition to Middletown, detectives in Woodcliff Lake have an interest in the teens. Police released surveillance video earlier this month of two suspects trying to break into a home to steal a car in the garage. They had stolen a BMW from that house weeks prior and returned to try and get the second one in the garage.
During that first theft the suspects grabbed the key fob for the family's other car. In that case, the teens ran from police and escaped in what would turn out to be a stolen Alfa Romeo SUV, which was also eventually dumped in Newark. The suspects got away on foot.
Police say cars are often stolen simply for joyrides. But they are also often stolen and sent to port in Newark to be sent overseas in containers.
Police in Middletown have responded with more patrols and even stationed officers at the Garden State Parkway entrance.