In the wake of a series of car break-ins over the past six weeks, the West Windsor Police Department is urging residents to lock their cars and take the keys or key fobs inside the house with them.
The thieves have entered unlocked cars and rifled through them in different neighborhoods across West Windsor Township, police said. The cars have been entered during the overnight and early morning hours.
In four instances, the cars were stolen after the owner left the key fob in the car. The stolen vehicles have been linked to other serious incidents, as the thieves used those cars as a means of transportation, police said.
The car break-ins and thefts are not limited to West Windsor, police said. Similar incidents have been reported in other towns in Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties. The thieves usually arrive in West Windsor in a car that was stolen from another town, police said.
Police said that residents who have videotape surveillance could be key in helping to stop the burglaries and thefts. Residents should be vigilant for anyone they see but that they do not recognize in their neighborhood, and to call police.