Residents in a South Jersey neighborhood say thieves have repeatedly targeted their vehicles, with surveillance cameras capturing suspects going from car to car and checking door handles.
Families in Cherry Hill’s Woodcrest neighborhood say the incidents have left them frustrated and unsettled.
David, who lives along Fireside Lane, said he received a notification from his security camera around 11:30 p.m. Sept. 12 showing someone breaking into his car.
“It’s very frustrating,” David said.
He said he ran outside within seconds to try to stop the person but was too late.
“Luckily, nothing was taken but it’s kind of unsettling that they’re just driving around neighborhoods searching for cars seeing what they can take,” David said.
David said his car was locked. He said police told him the suspect was able to get inside using special technology to unlock it.
He said it was not the first time something like this had happened in the neighborhood.
A couple of blocks away, a woman who asked to remain anonymous said someone got into her car around 1 a.m. Aug. 31.
“He just ransacked my car and took everything out,” she said.
Surveillance video she shared with NBC10 shows a man walking up to her cars and trying the door handles. She said he was able to get inside one of the cars, which had been left unlocked.
“I feel violated, and I feel that even if I left my car door unlocked it doesn’t give you a right to go onto my property and into my car,” she said.
After targeting her driveway, the suspects went across the street and tried again, according to the neighbor.
David said the apparent pattern of incidents concerns him.
“I’m not sure why they’re doing this or what not but you know it’s unsettling,” David said.
Neighbors said they have filed police reports. In some cases, they said police responded and tried to collect fingerprints from the cars.
NBC10 reached out to police for more information about the investigation but has not yet received a response.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
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