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photos courtesy of Boyd Loving
“Smash & Grab” Vehicle Break-Ins Increase Near County Bike Path
by Boyd Loving
A recent increase of “smash and grab” vehicle break-ins near the Saddle River County Bike Path has thus far baffled members of the Ridgewood and Bergen County Police Departments.
The most recent occurrence was reported at approximately 6:00 PM on Saturday when vehicle owner returned to her car and found the front passenger side window smashed out, and her purse missing.
Responding Ridgewood PD personnel Sgt. Brian Pullman, Patrol Officer Kyle Finch, and Patrol Officer Ricky Thomas found several discarded purses in a nearby trash dumpster during the subsequent investigation. It is unknown what, if any, personal contents were recovered with the purses.
When leaving your vehicle unattended, purses, wallets, computers, cell phones, GPS devices, etc. should be removed from plain sight and locked securely in the vehicle’s trunk or hidden storage compartment. Vehicles should always be locked when left unattended.