New Jersey burglaries put luxury car owners on alert as Ring video shows suspects breaking in
Police in New Jersey are investigating a series of home break-ins with suspects allegedly targeting luxury cars.
Exclusive home surveillance video obtained by CBS News New York shows one of the brazen burglaries over the weekend in Clifton.
It turned out to be one of three incidents over the course of an hour in the same part of the state.
"They look like young kids ... looking to get a quick buck"
Thaer Mustafa's Ring camera captured a group forcing open a locked window and entering his home at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday, startling his sister.
"They look like young kids, you know, just looking to get a quick buck," Mustafa said. "[My sister] woke me up, told me about it. So I came down the stairs."
In a matter of minutes, the burglars had scoured Mustafa's home and even entered rooms where his family was sleeping.
"It didn't look like anything was taken, but they opened a few drawers," he said.
Clifton Police said the burglars swiped a watch and keys to a Honda Civic parked outside before leaving the area, but Mustafa believes they were after the keys to his BMW.
"As I peak out the door to see where they went, they were coming down the block again to come back and try to get more things," he said.
Luckily for Mustafa, none of his vehicles were stolen.
Not a new trend in New Jersey
Within an hour of the Clifton burglary, at least two suspects swiped car keys after entering a home in Montclair, and an almost identical incident occurred in neighboring Bloomfield, according to police.
Despite the apparent pattern, investigators said it's still too early to determine whether Saturday's incidents were connected.
Meanwhile, homeowners getting targeted for their high-end vehicles is not a new scenario in New Jersey. Officials in the past have issued warnings urging residents to secure their car keys and fobs.
Mustafa was glad he heeded those prior warnings.
"I read an article that said not to leave your keys in the living room. So a lot of us, we all keep our keys with us while we're sleeping," he said.
As law enforcement across the state works to combat what they call a growing trend, police are telling homeowners to lock doors, hide keys and stay vigilant.
"Strengthen your security to your home, be aware," Mustafa said. "Don't make it easy for them."