11 suspects arrested in New Jersey auto theft ring investigation

EAST WINDSOR TWP, N.J. (WPVI) -- Less than three minutes. That's all it takes for thieves to break in, steal a key fob and get on the road with your car.

That's why New Jersey's attorney general has made auto theft a top priority.

Surveillance footage captured the night a Mercer County woman watched thieves steal her new car from her driveway.

"I got all the features I could. It was my dream car. I worked hard for it. It's all gone," the woman said. She did not want to be identified.

She tells us she was asleep when thieves broke into her East Windsor Twp. home, stole her key fob, started her car and took off.

Similar burglaries and car thefts have occurred throughout New Jersey.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin on Friday said 11 suspects were part of an auto theft ring that targeted high-end vehicles, stored the vehicles in two garages in the Bronx, then shipped them to West African countries.

"Between July 2024 and this month, the criminal enterprise we announced today coordinated the theft of motor vehicles in multiple New Jersey counties," Platkin said.

Investigators identified 43 stolen New Jersey vehicles valued at just over $3.6 million. They say thieves allegedly targeted Range Rovers, Mercedes and BMWs.

Automated license plate readers helped track the thieves. All of the defendants are charged with racketeering.