Crime & Safety

Car Stolen From Saddle Brook Driveway

The owner left his 2007 Range Rover warming up at about 7 a.m.

A Saddle Brook resident's car was stolen while left warming up in the owner's driveway Thursday morning, according to Police Chief Robert Kugler.

The 2007 red Range Rover was taken at about 7 a.m. when the owner went back inside his home for just "moments," Kugler said.

"We commonly see this type of opportunity crime occurring at stop-and-go businesses, like 7-Eleven, Dunkin Donuts and other similar-type businesses, where the victims mistakenly leave the car running as they enter the store for a quick purchase of items," Kugler said. "This particular crime occurred in the middle of a quiet, not-too-often-utilized residential street."

The car's value is estimated at about $21,000 and it had DJ equipment inside worth about $8,600, Kugler said.

Saddle Brook police are investigating the theft and comparing information from Essex County, which recently put out an alert about the increasing number of Range Rover thefts and the possibility that they're being smuggled out of the country.

"Whatever the case may be here, the bottom line is it only takes a couple of seconds for someone to enter an idling car and take off. The car should be locked and monitored at all times," Kugler said. "A saving grace on this case is that it wasn't a carjacking, and it could of ended up a lot worse for the victim."


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