Homeowner Averted Car Theft In Mendham: Police

MENDHAM, NJ — A resident stopped car thieves — who showed up in a stolen car — from taking their car on Thursday, according to Mendham Borough’s police chief.

Chief John Camoia told Patch in a statement by email on Monday, that an unidentified homeowner witnessed a person sitting in their car on Thursday shortly after midnight. The homeowner scared the person away after yelling at them from the window of their home and then running outside toward the person, Camoia said.

The prospective car thief fled in a car and the homeowner was able to write down the plate number before calling police, Camoia said. The license plate from that car came back to a vehicle stolen from West Long Branch, he added.

There have been no stolen cars or vehicle burglaries in Mendham Borough recently, outside of this incident, Camoia said.

The police department posted a reminder for residents on Friday, alerting them to lock up their cars, to prevent the possibility of future thefts or burglaries.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.