As vehicle thefts surge, Suffolk police detective warns against leaving key fobs in cars

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Suffolk County Police Department has observed a recent uptick in stolen vehicles and now urges residents to take precautions.

Detective Richard Marra of SCPD offered a brief history of the crime phenomenon in a phone interview. While vehicle theft cases have been recurrent, the detective noted that the crime is relatively preventable.

“Ninety percent of the cars that are stolen are probably stolen because [drivers] leave the key fobs in the car,” he said.

Marra said the police department first noticed the trend about three years ago when an organized out-of-state group started targeting luxury models.

“We had a group of guys coming out of New Jersey, mostly from Newark, and they would go to the more affluent neighborhoods,” he said. “They’d come in a van, walk down the street and look for any kind of foreign car.”

Thieves often sought out vehicles with the mirrors folded open. This, Marra said, was an indicator that the vehicle was unlocked.

If the key fob was left inside, they would easily steal the vehicle. If not, they may rummage through it for hidden valuables.

“Three years ago, it was crazy,” Marra said. “It slowed down a little bit in the last eight

Ice Fest

Continued from A4 and mutability of the ice medium offer both challenge and opportunity for creative expression.

“It’s a temporary art form, which makes it unique,” Daly said. “Especially on a day like today or a weekend like this, Mother Nature just doesn’t want the ice to be around,” adding, “As it melts, it just kind of changes and transforms, and it’s pretty cool.”

Daly said the process is relatively straightforward for those interested in carving ice. Blocks of ice, he said, can be acquired at most ice plants on Long Island. “It doesn’t take a crazy amount of money to buy tools,” he said. “Just have at it. Start [carving] whatever inspires you.”

Tip of the iceberg

Spring-like temperatures and melting points played a prominent role throughout the festival, with some environmentalists ringing the alarm about the threat of climate change.

Posted along Main, a small group of protesters lined the sidewalks with signs that read: “There is no planet ‘B’” and “Be nice, save the ice.” Holly Fils-Aime, president of the local environmental group EcoLeague, discussed how the melting sculptures signal a dangerous trend.

“The fact that these sculptures didn’t last the day because it’s so warm out here in January is a great teaching device,” Fils-Aime said.

months, but we still have a lot of thefts of cars because the key fobs are left in the car.”

The SCPD detective said that the New Jersey bunch often resold their stolen cars on the secondary market. In a highly coordinated manner, they would steal the cars, drive to New Jersey, remove any GPS trackers and then prepare them for international shipment.

Picketing alongside Fils-Aime was village resident Myrna Gordon, who stressed the importance of local government in identifying environmental problems and implementing science-based solutions.

“In my own village here in Port Jefferson, I think that a lot more has to be done with environmental issues,” she said. “Having an ice festival is wonderful — bringing people to the village, helping the businesses. But we also need to focus on very, very serious issues that are happening here.”

Frozen in time

Through the ice fest, scores of people interacted with the various facets of the community. While there wasn’t an ice sculpture outside the Bayles Boat Shop, boat builders continued their work on the Resolution whaleboat project.

“We’re in the finalizing stages of lofting,” said John Janicek, treasurer of the boat shop. After that, the buildout of the keel and stem can commence.

As the whaleboat enters a pivotal moment in its buildout process, the village is undergoing a transition of its own, moving into the postpandemic era. With downtown thriving once again, Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden gave her thoughts on these positive developments.

“It was incredible to see so many people enjoy the village this time of year,” she said. “The businesses were thriving, the restaurants were full. There were shoppers and diners, and it was great to see the comeback.”

“When they had a container ready, they put them on the container, and it was usually going to South Africa,” Marra said.

While the group from New Jersey had targeted luxury models, some vehicle thieves are less interested in the car’s resale value than its utility. Marra said some would use the vehicle to temporarily transport drugs or steal catalytic converters, then discard it. While victims of this variety of theft often retrieved their stolen cars, its condition could be irreversibly impaired.

“The ones that are taking just any car — anything that happens to be left with the fob in it — may drive it around for a day or two and then leave it somewhere,” he said. “Sometimes it’s destroyed, sometimes it’s not, but most of the time it’s not in the shape you left it in.”

The spike in vehicle theft follows another auto theft crime that has hit the county, the theft of catalytic converters. [See story, “Catalytic converter theft on the rise in Suffolk County,” TBR News Media website, Feb. 26, 2022.]

Marra indicated that catalytic converter theft has fallen off substantially in recent months due primarily to coordinated arrests conducted with the federal government.

For residents to protect themselves from vehicle theft, he said there is a simple solution — taking their fobs with them as they exit their cars.

“If people would take their key fobs with them and never leave them in the car, I’d say 90 to 95% of the car thefts would go down,” the detective said. “You just have to keep your keys in your pocket instead of leaving them in the console or the glove compartment.”

He added, “I know it’s nice to just jump in and drive away — but then everybody could jump in and drive away.”

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Pedestrian killed in Rocky Point Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Rocky Point on Jan. 30. Thomas O’Brien was driving a 2018 Subaru Forrester eastbound on Route 25A, east of Rocky Point Road, when his vehicle struck a pedestrian who was crossing the road on Jan. 30 at 9:30 p.m. The pedestrian, Sharif Murray, 21, of Rocky Point, was pronounced dead at the scene. O’Brien, 75, and his wife, Mildred O’Brien, 75, of Shoreham, were not injured.

Selden woman convicted of stealing

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Jan. 27 that Leslie Mroz, 39, of Selden, was sentenced to two to six years in prison for allegedly embezzling more than $340,000 from her employer over the course of approximately three years.

“This defendant wasted no time abusing the trust that her employer placed in her by stealing from her employer,” said District Attorney Tierney. “She will now face justice and serve prison time for her greed.”

An investigation conducted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department revealed that from February 2016 to February 2019, Mroz was employed by a Medford company where she handled payroll as part of her responsibilities as the Human Resources manager. The position gave her the ability to manipulate her salary and the benefits she received. At the time her theft was discovered, Mroz was paying herself more than double the salary that her employer had authorized.

A review of company records also revealed that Mroz was also making unauthorized contributions to her retirement fund and health insurance.

The owner of the small family-run Medford business where Mroz worked, who asked not to be named for privacy concerns, stated that Mroz’s theft of over $340,000 had the potential to ruin her company. However, she said what hurt her the most was that

Caught On Camera

Wanted for public lewdness

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly exposed himself and committed a lewd act at a Lake Grove store. A man allegedly exposed himself and committed a lewd act in front of a female in the cafe located in Barnes and Noble at the Smith Haven Mall on December 9 at approximately 4:35 p.m.

Mroz was considered a trusted employee and had been accepted as part of her family. Mroz pleaded guilty to one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degreein October. She was sentenced on Jan. 23 to two to six years in prison.

Man arrested for bank robbery

Suffolk County Police arrested a Middle Island man who allegedly robbed a Centereach bank on Jan. 31. Ralph William Dominguez entered M&T Bank, located at 1919 Middle Country Road, and allegedly handed a note demanding cash to a bank teller. The employee complied and Dominguez fled on foot at approximately 3:20 p.m.

Approximately 25 minutes later, a man matching his description was located by Sixth Precinct patrol officers in the parking lot of 7-Eleven at 1740 Middle Country Road, Centereach. He was taken into custody and charged with Robbery 3rd Degree, a felony.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

Legals

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