'Brazen' Burglars Steal Car, Break Into Basking Ridge Home

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Bernards Township police are warning residents of criminals in the area who are becoming increasingly more "brazen" after breaking into a car in another town and then driving back to the home to burglarize it.

"This particular incident tremendously disturbs me as I have not seen this ever in my 24 and a half year career. This department has handled and solved numerous motor vehicle burglaries and thefts. I was always asked by victims of those crimes if they had to worry about the suspects coming to their homes with the intention of entering them. The answer I used to provide was 'No, they may come back and try to steal your car again because they know you leave your key fob in it, but I’ve never seen them burglarize a home as a result of stealing your car'. I can no longer say that with any degree of certainty," said Bernards Township Police Lt. Jon Burger.

On Sunday at around 3:40 p.m., a resident who lives on the 200 block on Crabtree Court was at a sporting event where families were present in Livingston when their 2020 white BMW 8 series was stolen from the parking lot, said Bernards Township Police Lt. Jon Burger.

The car had an NFC digital key/valet card inside which allows the car to be unlocked and driven without the actual key fob in or close to the car. As a result of this digital card being in the vehicle, the car burglars were able to steal the car.

"The Bernards Township Police Department is strongly recommending that residents who own a vehicle with this type of technology remove the digital key from the car," said Burger.

After stealing the car, the burglars used information found inside the car to return to the home in Basking Ridge, use the garage door opener in the car, and burglarize the home, said Burger.

The burglars stole jewelry, cash, and electronics, said Burger.

"In this Officers's 24-year career, this is the first time car thieves have returned to the residence. It clearly shows that criminals are becoming more and more brazen," said Burger. "What is of concern to this Detective Lieutenant is that the car was stolen in the daytime and the burglary occurred shortly thereafter. The suspects, in this case, had no idea if the residence was occupied or not and clearly did not care. Obviously of concern is that this vehicle was taken at a sporting event where families were present. Again the suspects clearly didn’t care that a family member who didn’t attend the event may have been home."

Residents who have their car stolen in any town should contact the Bernards Township Police Department as soon as possible so they can monitor their home.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.