Gov. Phil Murphy signs bill into law to increase penalties for home invasions in New Jersey
EDISON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill into law on Friday that will increase criminal penalties for home invasions in New Jersey.
The bill is one that the mayor of Edison had been pushing for, saying policies needed to be changed in order to increase public safety.
"Home invasions and burglaries not only violate our sense of security, but also leave lasting emotional scars on victims," said Edison Mayor Sam Joshi. "This law sends a strong message that these crimes will not be tolerated in our community."
The new law will now extend prison time for people who are convicted of home invasions and burglaries in possession of a deadly weapon.
It also allows teens 15 years or older to face prison sentences of up to 20 years for committing those crimes.
"The safety and well-being of New Jerseyans is our Administration's highest priority," said Murphy. "Today's bipartisan legislation ensures that the penalties for burglary and home invasion reflect the severity of these crimes and deter individuals from entering a home illegally. We are grateful to the Legislature, our law enforcement community, local mayors, and community members for supporting our shared goal of keeping New Jersey residents safe."
It comes as home invasions continue to plague communities throughout the state.
Hours earlier on Friday morning, police in Union were involved in a chase on I-78. Authorities say they were chasing three suspects wanted for home burglaries.
The driver ultimately ditched the car and ran away. Two suspects have since been caught but police are still searching for one more.
Kiran Arora and her family were the victims of a home invasion last June. She came face-to-face with the people who were trying to break into her home as her family slept.
"I made eye contact and I saw them, they saw me," Arora said. She said they were almost inside her home and had already taken off her glass door -- only her screen door was left.
She ran outside and the three criminals took off -- but left her and her family shaken.
Joshi said the law will now give prosecutors the tools they need to crack down on criminals.
"When our officers were catching those bad guys, what ended up happening is, unfortunately, some of them, especially the juveniles, would get right back on the street and it demoralized our department," Joshi said.
Organizations like the ACLU of New Jersey oppose the bill, saying the solution isn't harsher penalties for juveniles.
RELATED | New Jersey home invasion problem spreads to Union County
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
