Surveillance video shows driver fight off suspected carjackers in Edison
News 12’s Kimberly Buk met with Kaushik Patel, the owner of Patel Brothers supermarket, after surveillance video shows his son being approached by three men while sitting in his car.
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A driver in Edison tried to fight off three men who police say attempted to steal an SUV at a supermarket parking lot.
News 12 New Jersey’s Kimberly Buk met with Kaushik Patel, the owner of Patel Brothers supermarket, after surveillance video shows his son being approached by three men while sitting in his car.
Patel says his son was not injured and he immediately called police.
“My son fought with them and didn't give up, didn't give the key,” Patel said. “Bentley's, Mercedes, BMW's, Audi's – they don't go for cheap cars. A couple of days back, there was another car gone within 15 minutes. They are coming from Newark, a couple of them, police catch them. A few days later they are in and they are out."
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In an attempt to crackdown on crime in town, Edison Mayor Sam Joshi says there is a command center in a shopping center on Oak Tree Road. He says its goal is to offer more visibility to what’s happening in town and increase police patrolling.
“We’ve done so much in the police department. Right now, we have 189 police officers. We're getting several more, a record,” Joshi said. “We've increased our manpower significantly. We have over 80 license plate readers that are strategically placed throughout town. State leadership and laws are allowing for these crimes to keep occurring.”
Edison Police Chief Tom Bryan says the command post ensures that police have higher visibility in the area. He says police reports are also accepted there, which is more convenient for police officers.
“There's video camera inside, all around we can see what's going on at all times, it's important,” Bryan said.
New Jersey has seen an uptick in car thefts across the state. Most recently, Manalapan police reported two incidents of thieves breaking into a home and stealing key fobs and a Mercedes. Another similar incident happened in Howell, where a homeowner pointed a gun at burglars who entered his home while he said his kids were asleep in the house.
In Wall Township, residents held a meeting to address the rise in car thefts and other crimes as the town has seen 78 car burglaries in 14 months, according to officials.
