By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
PLAINSBORO A string of vehicle thefts in multiple nearby apartment complexes took place over Easter weekend, leading police to think the incidents are related, according to Lt. George Cier.
Two minivans, three motorcycles and a set of rims and tires were reported missing from five different apartment complexes from March 30 to April 1, totaling a combined $28,200 worth of stolen property. Lt. Cier said it has been a year since they have seen a rash of car thefts like this.
”This is an isolated type of incident. We certainly don’t have these incidents every weekend,” said Lt. Cier. “The individuals involved target different towns randomly at different times and they happened to choose us this weekend.”
Two residents of Tamarron Drive became the first victims on March 30 after reporting their vehicles had been stolen sometime between midnight and 8 a.m. that morning. One was a 1999 Dodge Caravan valued at $3,000 and the other was a Suzuki motorcycle worth about $6,500.
Police said the minivan’s seats had been removed and discarded within the Hampshire Drive complex to store the stolen motorcycle.
Police reports showed the rest of the thefts happened in roughly a 12-hour time frame spanning from the evening of March 31 to the morning or early afternoon of April 1.
In Hampshire Drive, where the minivan’s interior seats were discarded, another minivan was stolen sometime between 7 p.m. on March 31 and 7:15 a.m. on April 1. In this case, it was a 2000 blue Dodge Caravan worth about $5,320 including the items inside, according to the police report.
Around the same time, a resident of Hunters Glen Drive reported his 2006 blue Honda motorcycle valued at $7,000 was stolen sometime between 6 p.m. on March 31 and 6 p.m. on April 1. Another resident of Aspen Drive reported a 2004 Suzuki motorcycle worth about $4,500 was also stolen sometime between 8 p.m. on March 31 and 3:15 p.m. on April 1.
In Ravens Crest Drive, a resident reported the rims and tires had been stolen from his or her Mazda Miata sometime between 7:30 p.m. on March 31 and 7:30 a.m. on April 1. The suspects had left the car behind on two black crates, according to the police report. The tires and rims were valued at a combined total of $1,880.
The initial reports did not include whether cars had been unlocked and Lt. Cier said he has yet to receive follow up reports from the detectives, who are currently investigating the thefts.
Lt. Cier said close to all of car thefts in Plainsboro happen in apartment complexes because the parking lots are more open and public than residential driveways and they often contain many cars.
None of the vehicles or property have been recovered yet, he said.
