9 Burglaries, Attempted Burglaries Reported Over 1 Week In Basking Ridge (2024)

Bernards Township Police are warning residents that car thieves are becoming "more aggressive" by entering homes to steal car keys.

Posted Tue, Jan 2, 2024 at 4:33 pm ET

Over the past week, nine burglaries and attempted burglaries to homes and cars in Bernards Township were reported.

"Thieves are now attempting to enter residences to look for vehicle keys if the vehicles they seek to steal are locked," said Bernards Township Police Department(BTPD). "As much as BTPD and other police departments have continuously reminded residents to lock their vehicles and take the keys inside, BTPD now urges residents to hide their keys in inconspicuous places within the residence that thieves cannot easily find."

Police are urging residents to keep ALL vehicles locked, along with ALL home windows and doors. If a home is equipped with a home security system, residents should keep the system on at all times.

Here are the burglaries and attempted burglaries reported recently:

On Dec. 21 at around 2:15 a.m.: Officers responded to a residence on Autumn Drive for the report of a burglary in progress. The victim advised their security cameras captured two suspects, with an unknown tool in their hand, trying to break into the residence. The suspects did not make entry, and fled the property on foot, towards the dead end on Autumn Drive. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 21 at around 2:23 a.m.: Officers received another call for a burglary and motor vehicle theft at a separate residence on Autumn Drive. The victim advised they heard noises in their residence, went downstairs, and observed two of their vehicles stolen from their driveway. The stolen vehicles, a black 2018 BMW 3S, and a black 2019 BMW X5, were locked with the keys inside the residence prior to being taken. During the scene investigation, it was determined that the suspects utilized a tool to dislodge the rear sliding door from its tracks, enter the residence, and take the keys to both vehicles. Officers were able to locate one of the stolen vehicles fleeing the area and attempted to initiate a motor vehicle stop on the stolen vehicle. The vehicle fled the officer’s attempt to stop, and a motor vehicle pursuit was initiated. The pursuit was later terminated on I-287 southbound. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 21 at around 4:01 a.m.: Officers responded to a residence on Carriage Way for an attempted motor vehicle burglary. The victim advised an unknown suspect entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle but did not take anything. The vehicle was not stolen from the residence. BTPD reminds residents to keep their vehicles locked with the keys hidden inside their residence. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 21 at around 8:40 a.m.: Officers responded to a residence on Hilltop Road for a report of a residential burglary that occurred overnight. A neighbor of the victim advised that someone had broken the rear window to the residence and stole money that was left inside the residence. Both vehicles were still at the residence, as the keys to the vehicles were hidden in an inconspicuous spot that the suspect(s) could not locate. A few hours later, another resident found two backpacks on Lord Stirling Road. The backpacks were determined to be taken from the residence on Hilltop Road. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 23 at around 3:35 a.m.: Officers responded to The Washington House on S. Finley Avenue for a burglary. An employee advised officers that they were cleaning and heard glass break. When the employee looked towards the area of the sound, they saw a masked man flee the building. Patrol officers cleared the building and were unable to locate the suspect. Patrol officers located various bottles of alcohol on the roof of the building, which appeared to be left behind by the
suspect. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 24 at around 5:04 a.m.: Officers responded to a residence on Gordon Place for the report of a burglary. The victim advised they were inside the residence when they heard a noise and saw a flashlight in a window. The noise stemmed from suspect(s) prying out a screen window with a crowbar in order to gain entry to the residence. The resident went to the area of the noise and the suspect(s) fled the area before taking any items and/or locating the keys to the vehicle in the driveway. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 27 at around 1:34 a.m.: Officers went to a residence on Old Coach Road for the attempted home burglary. The resident advised they received an alarm notification and checked their security systems. When viewing the footage, they observed two male suspects, both wearing ski
masks and dark sweatshirts and sweatpants, in the driveway of the residence. The men are then seen fleeing on foot towards Minebrook Road. Upon officers’ arrival, they observed multiple windows on the first floor of the residence with the screens taken out, but the suspects were unable to make entry into the residence. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 27 at around 6:47 a.m.: Officers responded to a residence on Lurline Drive for the report of a motor vehicle theft and home burglary. The victim advised their gray 2024 BMW X5 missing from the driveway. Utilizing their BMW app, it appeared the vehicle was taken from the residence at around 3 a.m. The victim also saw a white 2017 Hyundai Sonata running, unoccupied, in front of their residence. This vehicle was later determined to be stolen out of East Orange. The Hyundai was later towed from the area. Officers saw an open rear window to the home which was utilized by the suspects to make entry to the residence. The suspects were able to locate the BMW keys and take the vehicle. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 30: A resident of Benedict Crescent called BTPD headquarters to report a burglary to a motor vehicle. The resident advised that between 8 p.m. on Dec. 29 and 7 a.m. on Dec. 30, their white 2017 Porsche was entered by an unknown party. The resident advised a door to the vehicle was found ajar and the glove compartment was open. Nothing was taken from the vehicle. BTPD reminds residents to keep their vehicles locked at all times to prevent unwanted entries.

Here are some other incidents reported in the latest police blotter:

During the above timeframe, BTPD officers responded to eight motor vehicles crashes with one injury reported. One motor vehicle summons was issued.

During the storm on Dec. 18: Officers responded to 26 flooding/storm-related calls for service. This included two vehicles stuck in storm waters. Drivers of both vehicles were able to exit the vehicles safely.

On Dec. 18 at around 7:30 p.m.: Officers responded to Fawn Lane for the report of a suspicious incident. The victims said that while driving on Martinsville Road, they noticed their vehicle was being followed by an older model silver BMW. The victims stated the vehicle followed them from Martinsville Road near I-78 to their road, Fawn Drive. The victims did not return to their residence and instead circled the block until they observed the suspicious vehicle leave the area. Residents are reminded to be aware of their surroundings and contact 911 immediately should they feel they are being followed.

On Dec. 19: A resident responded to BTPD headquarters to report a scam. The victim said they were contacted by multiple different phone numbers requesting the victim purchase gift cards at various stores and to provide the caller with the gift card numbers. The victim proceeded to buy $1,200 in gift cards to provide to the anonymous caller. The victim also advised there was a transfer pending on their bank account for $1,970 to a suspect located in Ecuador. The victim’s family member was able to cancel the transactions and is pending reimbursem*nt. BTPD reminds residents to never send funds to unknown parties via Venmo, Zelle, wire transfer, or any other money transferring service. BTPD also reminds residents to never purchase gift cards for an unknown party. Always confirm suspicious phone calls with your bank officials before using or sending funds. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 21 at around 12:49 p.m.: Officers responded to a residence on Springhouse Lane for the report of a theft in progress. The victim advised they received notification that their ordered iPhone 15 was delivered. When the victim went to retrieve the package, they saw a man running down their driveway with the iPhone package in hand. The victim saw the man get into a waiting Dodge Charger and flee the area. Officers responding to the area observed a Dodge Charger matching the description given by the victim driving on Valley Road towards King George Road. A motor vehicle stop was conducted on the suspect vehicle. During the motor vehicle stop investigation, the vehicle was searched, and the stolen iPhone 15 was recovered, along with another iPhone 15 from an unknown home. Both the driver, Jack Acosta, 24, of New York, NY, and the passenger, David Ravelo-Cedeno, 24, of Yonkers, NY, were arrested. Both men were charged with theft by unlawful taking and released with a summons and court date. The stolen iPhone was returned to the victim on Springhouse Lane.

On Dec. 24 at around 8:20 p.m.: Officers responded to Childs Road for the report of an abandoned vehicle in the roadway. Upon arrival, officers saw a gray 2016 Chevrolet Malibu parked in the lane of travel. An inquiry into the vehicle’s registration returned showing the vehicle stolen out of Raleigh, NC. The vehicle was towed from the area after Raleigh Police Department was notified.

On Dec. 29 at around 4:52 p.m.: Officers responded to Greens Natural Foods for the report of a theft that occurred in the past. Officers spoke with the store director, who advised that on Dec. 28 at around 5:07 p.m., a light-skinned, heavier-set man with glasses, appearing to be in his 40s, went to the register to purchase blackberries. The man handed the cashier a $100 bill for one package of blackberries. While distracting the cashier, the man was able to take back his $100 bill and place it in his pocket. The cashier proceeds to give the male $94.01 in change. The male left the store with the change and the blackberries. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

On Dec. 30 at around 7:49 p.m.: Officers responded to the Exxon on Martinsville Road for the report of a theft. An employee of the Exxon advised a cream-colored Toyota Camry had fled without paying for around $69 worth of gas. The employee described the driver as a skinny Caucasian male. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

The Bernard’s Township Police continues to remind everyone to report suspicious activity observed by calling 908-766-1122. Residents should keep vehicles locked, without the keys in them and valuables out of sight. Residents should confirm all suspicious calls/emails/texts/messages requesting monetary payments with law enforcement or banking officials before sending funds.

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