What to know
- The New York City Police Department is looking for a group of car thieves who kidnapped a driver last month during one of these robberies.
- Anyone with information on this incident should call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, in Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
- The fight against auto theft is also on the New Jersey governor’s mind.
NEW YORK – The New York City Police Department is looking for a group of car thieves who kidnapped a driver last month during one of these robberies.
According to police, the New York driver was kidnapped by car robbers who tied him up with a sack on his head and abandoned him in Nassau County.
The 42-year-old driver was heading towards his car located in the area of Avenue 35 y 146th street on October 24 in Flushing, Queens, at 6am when a Honda rider pulled up near his vehicle and three unknown men jumped out of the vehicle. Individuals hit the man’s window with guns. They then took him out of his vehicle, put a plastic bag on his head and tied his hands while asking for money.
According to the police, after driving with the man inside his vehicle, the man obeyed and directed them to where he had money inside his residence. The people then released the man, took her to an unknown location in Nassau County, and left him before the robbers escaped in the man’s vehicle.
The man refused to receive medical treatment on the spot. His vehicle was later recovered within the confines of District 109 on Wednesday 2 November.
The NYPD released images of suspects and linked them to an attempted kidnapping earlier that day of another driver sitting in his car.
This gruesome event occurred just hours after these same subjects, according to the NYPD, attempted to rob another individual of his car.
On the same day, October 24, around 1:05 am, a 43-year-old man was sitting in his car on the corner of Totten Street and Utopia Parkway when two unidentified men with firearms inside a vehicle stop behind him. People then slammed on the window and asked the man to get out of the vehicle. People attempted to take his vehicle but failed to start it. The subjects then fled with the victim’s cell phones and a backpack.
No injuries have been reported as a result of this incident, but the value of the removed property is approximately $ 4,315.
Police describe the wanted individuals as males, aged between 20 and 25.
Anyone with information on this incident should call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, in Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The fight against auto theft is also on the New Jersey governor’s mind.
Phil Murphy announced on Monday his support for a series of legislative proposals and administrative actions to combat vehicle theft in New Jersey.
Versions of these measures have already been introduced, and the Democrat looks forward to working with legislative leadership and sponsors to advance these reforms through the legislative process. The governor proposed:
- Establish a permanent statute for auto theft offenders, which would give state and local prosecutors the ability to seek more serious criminal consequences for those who have been repeatedly convicted of auto theft.
- Make it a crime to own and distribute certain auto theft tools.
- To impose criminal penalties for failure to comply with certain guidelines in the sale of catalytic converters.
- Invest in better preliminary services, which will reduce the risk to people awaiting trial. This will include:
- Preliminary supervision by the police.
- Expanding the use of house arrest in conjunction with location tracking.
- Provide additional resources related to substance abuse, mental health and housing insecurity.
The announcement builds on the steps taken earlier this year, which have already proven to have an impact. According to the governor’s report, car thefts in September this year fell by 14% compared to September last year. And in October, car thefts fell 12 percent from October last year, he added.
Tips to avoid being the target of car theft
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHSTA for its acronym in English, it urges drivers to use “common sense when parking and exiting the vehicle”. Here are some NHSTA tips for staying safe and avoiding being targeted by car thieves.
- Bring the vehicle key with you; do not leave it on or in your vehicle.
- Close and lock all windows and doors when parking.
- Park in well-lit areas if possible.
- Never leave valuables in your vehicle, especially if you can see them from the outside of the vehicle.
- There are a number of anti-theft systems and devices designed to make vehicles harder to steal or easier to trace and recover.
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