the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Fair Lawn homeowner and his wife were jolted awake early Saturday morning, March 1, by the sound of shattering glass. Just 14 seconds later, their two luxury vehicles were gone, and he had barely escaped being run over by the thieves.
A Violent Break-In Caught on Camera
At approximately 4:30 a.m., police responded to 2909 Berdan Avenue, across from Berdan Park, after the homeowner reported that burglars had broken into their house and stolen two vehicles.
“We were asleep upstairs. We heard two smashes and glass shattering. I thought the skylight in the bathroom exploded or a tree fell on the house,” the homeowner recalled.
Then came the movement.
“I ran downstairs, started yelling, ‘What’s going on?!’ I saw someone run out the door.”
As he grabbed his phone to call 911, his wife realized her purse was missing. Then he heard his truck start.
“I dropped the phone and ran outside after it,” he said. “They backed up, put it in drive, and tried to run me over.”
In seconds, the burglars had vanished, stealing a BMW X5M and a Jeep Trackhawk.
A Calculated, Targeted Attack
Though the invasion seemed fast and chaotic, it was anything but random.
Surveillance footage later revealed that the burglars had been casing the neighborhood for 30 minutes, circling the block, peering through windows, and scouting a way inside.
When they smashed the front door with a rock, they went straight for the car keys, grabbed them, and sped off.
“They were all in,” the homeowner said. “Once they made that decision, they weren’t leaving empty-handed.”
Tracking the Stolen Cars—Then Losing the Trail
A license plate reader in Newark later picked up the stolen vehicles. The homeowner even used GPS tracking to follow his wife’s car—until the thieves ripped out the tracker 30 minutes later.
“Who knows where they are now?” he said.
Police suspect that the burglars were scouting the area for high-end vehicles before making their move.
A Family No Stranger to Trauma
For the homeowner, this was a brutal wake-up call—but not his first brush with life-altering crime.
“Last year, we were headed to Clemson to visit our son for Parents Weekend when a drunk driver crossed over the median,” he said. “We hit him. He died on the scene… we escaped with non-life-threatening injuries.”
The same make and model of the car that saved their lives in that crash was stolen in this break-in.
“It’s being violated in every way possible. It’s an awful feeling.”
A Warning for Homeowners
What shakes him most is the belief that the criminals will face no real consequences.
“They have no regard for life. They’re wild animals looking for their next score,” he said. “And there are no consequences. They’ll be out in 30 days doing this again.”
Now, he has a warning for other homeowners:
“If someone wants what you have, they’re going to take it. Locks keep honest people honest, but once they’re inside, they’re leaving with what they came for.”
Fair Lawn Police Seek Information
Authorities have not yet released descriptions of the suspects or the stolen vehicles. Anyone with information is urged to contact Fair Lawn Police.
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Could be worse. The drunk driver could have killed them instead. Looks like karma came for its pound of luxury car all the same.
This is new. The Newark natives don’t usually break into houses to steal the keys.
Fairlawn has gone to shit. I stay out of that town. With the crime rate going up. No thanks
no need for a description.. its what we all know… all the time
Arm yourself. If the animals are in your house, then shoot them many times (preferably in the chest / head region).
Let the word make its way down to the Newark area that home entry in Bergen County results in being shot. They’ll hopefully think twice and seek gainful, lawful employment. Or, perhaps not.
I pity anyone in my house unauthorized. I’m literally emptying my clip.
As Sensei Kreese said so eloquently, “We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.”
And like clockwork here’s Bruce with his signature shoot-em-in-the-head post. 😂😂😂
Only if you’re in my house uninvited. 🙂
I really am a very generous host to all of my guests (but you must be on the guest list!).
-Bruce
Urbanization and the diversity that comes with is our strength. When I see this area transform intp my beloved Brooklyn hood I left 20 years ago, I get so emotional.
Couldn’t agree more. The last thing you want to do in life is become complacent and comfortable. Everyone moves to the burbs for ease and comfort and few generations down the road your kids are voting democrat and waiving strange flags. People need periodic reminders, and sadly often violent intrusions, that the real world outside their ticky tacky little safe spaces has not ceased to exist. It makes us stronger and keeps us sharp.