Thieves
tried to break in and steal the Land Rover of Gov. Phil Murphy's next-door
neighbors in Middletown Sunday, according to the police
report exclusively obtained by News 12.
Police say two men
were seen trying to kick in the garage of the governor's neighbor around 3:30
p.m. Someone spotted them, and they sped off in a white BMW SUV.
Upscale neighborhoods along
Navesink River Road become targets for the thieves. It’s then just a quick ride
to the Garden State Parkway through the towns before most of them get away,
according to officials.
“You never think it's going
to happen to me,” says Joe Dicroce, of Shrewsbury. DiCroce knows
all too well about car thefts. Since 2020, his BMW M3 was the target at
least seven times.
Hearing about the latest attempt in
the governor's neighborhood didn't shock Dicroce. Instead, he says
it's time for action.
“We would take laws that apply to
adults and apply a version of them to people underage,” says state Sen.
Declan O'Scanlon.
O'Scanlon, along with Assembly Members
Vicky Flynn and Gerry Scharfenberger, all continue to push for tougher
laws, increased penalties for minors and bail reform modifications.
“If you're proactive with
radioing ahead, setting up roadblocks, cutting off the avenue of escape,” says
O'Scanlon. “You really can go at the willingness of these people to commit
these crimes. And then once they're caught, you need to send a message
that they're going to spend some time in jail."
DiCroce says he finally
had enough of seeing would-be thieves on his Ring cameras both in
Brielle and his new home in Shrewsbury - and got rid of the
BMW.