Unlocked vehicles targets for theft in Medford

On August 1 at 8 p.m. Medford Police were called to the intersection of Jackson Road and Stokes Road for a two-vehicle crash. The subsequent investigation resulted in a 25-year-old man from Minisink Trail in Shamong being arrested for driving while intoxicated. His vehicle was impounded and stored at a local facility. On August 2, he attempted to remove property from his vehicle without the proper release. He was stopped by facility staff who observed him attempting to remove numerous GPS units from his vehicle. Medford Police were alerted and determined that he and his vehicle matched the descriptions provided by a resident on Southwest Lakeside Drive who observed someone in the driveway of a residence. When confronted the subject ran to a vehicle, which was parked at Birchwood beach. He and his vehicle were also consistent to a description provided by a resident who observed suspicious activity on Lakewood Avenue. On August 4, a search warrant was executed on his vehicle and 11 GPS units, three iPods, a radar detector, a purse, and sunglasses were recovered. He was interviewed by police and admitted to stealing the items from unlocked vehicles on Northwest Lakeside Drive, Southwest Lakeside Drive, and Lakewood Avenue in Medford as well as Tuckerton Road in Shamong. He stole the items during the evening hours of July 30, July 31, and August 1. He was charged with receiving stolen property and released. Additional charges are pending upon determination on exactly where the items were stolen from. Anyone who believes that the items may have been stolen from them is asked to contact the Medford Township Police at 609–654–7375.