NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Several South Jersey communities have recorded an uptick in vehicle break-ins and thefts, including Camden County.
A person wearing a mask was caught on camera checking car door handles in the middle of the night in Somerdale. James Mobley shared the video with our partners at NBC10 and called the situation frustrating.
“This is my property. Stay away. It's something that you should not be doing,” he said.
Nothing was stolen from Mobley’s vehicle, but Kelley Allard's daughter wasn’t as lucky. Her car was stolen from outside their Somerdale home this week. Allard told NBC10 they felt violated.
“They actually went into my truck and took a set of keys which had my daughter's keys on them because we lock our cars all the time,” she said.
“I guess I didn't lock my truck last night, and there was a whole set of keys to not only our personal vehicles but my business vehicles as well.”
The car was located abandoned, not far from the home.
Somerdale Police Chief James Walsh said the neighboring communities are seeing an increase in robberies and theft of vehicles, too. “Lock your cars, and if you see anything suspicious, make sure you call us,” he urged.
Walsh said some of the wrongdoers were caught on home doorbell cameras. “I think a lot of it is spilled over because we have the neighboring communities who are having it too,” he said. “We think a lot of them are juveniles, but a lot of them are wearing masks.”
