On early Saturday morning, four individuals suspected of car theft were apprehended in South Brunswick. Interestingly, the suspects were caught while taking a break to grab food and beverages at a local Wawa.
At approximately 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, authorities were alerted to a collision at 605 Ridge Rd.
Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement officials discovered a 2021 Mazda that had crashed and was left abandoned on a front lawn. It was soon determined that the vehicle was registered to a residence located just a few blocks away on Welcome Farms Road.
Upon the arrival of the police, the homeowners were quick to discover that their driveway had been emptied of both their cars. However, with the aid of an app, they were able to track down their second stolen vehicle – a 2023 Hyundai – to a Wawa located at 885 Route 535.
Upon arriving at the Wawa, additional officers spotted a parked car in the lot and observed four males strolling towards a nearby closed strip mall, claiming they were waiting for an Uber.
Upon further questioning, the teenagers revealed more information to the officers. In addition, surveillance footage from inside the Wawa was reviewed, which clearly depicted the teens arriving in the stolen car and using a credit card that belonged to the owner of the vehicle to make purchases.
The owner was taken aback by the incident. Their car was severely damaged and totaled, which came as a complete surprise. The shock was further compounded by the fact that they had no idea where the husband’s car was. To add to the confusion, the owner received fraud alerts on their credit cards, which led them to discover that their cards were being used at Wawa.
In the parking lot of Wawa, yet another vehicle that was stolen from Hillsborough was found.
Four individuals involved in the crime have been identified, including 18-year-old Ronia Jackson and 18-year-old Kayon Moore. Additionally, there were two minors involved in the incident, aged 16 and 17, who have not been publicly named and are from Trenton.
Authorities apprehended all four individuals and accused them of several criminal charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, theft, burglary, and possession of a stolen credit card.
Charges were pressed against the two adults for involving minors in the commission of a crime.
Chief Raymond Hayducka expressed gratitude for the prompt response and cooperation of all officers in putting an end to a night of crime that resulted in the theft of three cars, the total loss of one car, and destruction of a homeowner’s property, all within an hour.
According to the police, it is important to avoid leaving your key fob inside your car or near doors and windows. To prevent criminals from intercepting your key signal, there are special pouches available that you can use to store your key fob.