Lexus Stolen From Outside Wall Wawa; Newark Man Charged

WALL, NJ —As Wall police investigated the theft of a Lexus from in front of the Route 34 Wawa store, they found evidence linking the theft to earlier car burglaries in the township.

And a joint investigation located the car in Newark and resulted in the arrest of a Newark man, police here said.

On Friday night, Dec. 8, a white 2015 Lexus 250 was parked in front of the Wawa on Route 34 north, left unlocked with the engine running while the owner was inside the store - with the key fob. But when he left the store, he found the car gone, police said.

Police were called and reviewed surveillance video that showed a white sedan pull up behind the victim's vehicle. One person, wearing a tan/yellow hoodie and dark pants, got out of the sedan and then drove off with the Lexus, according to the report.

While on the scene, officers found a backpack belonging to a resident on Pine Road. Patrols were already on Pine Road earlier that night, investigating multiple motor vehicle burglaries by four people operating a white sedan. From this information, it was determined that the same people were responsible for both incidents, police said.

The Lexus, equipped with GPS tracking, was found being driven in Newark. Wall police then contacted the Newark police who located the vehicle and arrested a man, 29, from Newark, according to Wall authorities.

The man, not named as yet by authorities, was found to be in possession of a handgun, police said.

It was also learned that before recovering the vehicle, four people committed an armed carjacking using the stolen Lexus, police said. The location of the carjacking was not disclosed. One juvenile was also arrested.

Wall police are working with Newark police to continue the investigation, and ask that anyone with information about the incident contact them at 732-449-4500.

Police also remind residents not to leave cars running unattended and to be aware of their surroundings - and to contact police immediately if they observe anything suspicious.