Police investigating string of car thefts in South Jersey

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (WPVI) -- Police in South Jersey are looking for several suspects they believe are behind a string of car thefts.

Mount Laurel police say at least six cars were stolen early Tuesday morning.

In one instance, home surveillance shows a suspect jump into a white 2019 Acura and take off. The driver is followed by two other cars.

"When he took my car, he knew I had a doorbell camera because it looks like he covered his mouth," said Charese Percell. She believes her car, taken from the 100 block of Charing Way, may have been used in other thefts.

Another surveillance video from after 3 a.m. on Knotty Oak Drive shows several suspects getting out of a car that looks like hers and taking a white Ford Explorer.

"I know it's replaceable, but it's just at the end of the day, you just steal people's stuff?" she said.

She says police found her car in Cherry Hill on Tuesday afternoon.

"I don't know what it is, but they're ripping out all the electrical wires in the car and damaging the inside of the car, and unfortunately, my car is totaled," she said.

Police say the suspects ripped out the car's GPS and cameras.

Her car was discovered close to where investigators arrested a juvenile Tuesday, who was caught in the Cherry Hill Mall parking lot with the stolen white Ford Explorer. Police say a license plate reader had a hit on the stolen car, and when police found it, a juvenile came out of the mall shortly afterward with the keys and was arrested.

"I even had other stuff that they stole out of other cars in my car," said Percell.

As police continue to investigate, the community is on edge.

Paul Tesscin says he watched the same suspects on surveillance try and fail to steal his car, too.

"You just want to feel safe at home," he said. "You don't expect something like this to happen, especially in an area like this. Mount Laurel is a good town."

While one arrest has been made, this is still an active investigation. Several of the stolen cars have not been recovered, and police do believe there are more suspects out there.