Arrest made after stolen car used in ATM robbery crashes on New Jersey highway
BELLEVILLE, New Jersey (WABC) -- An arrest was made Monday in connection to a string of smash and grab robberies in New Jersey.
NewsCopter 7 was over the Palisades Parkway in Alpine, where police recovered a black 2022 Audi S5 involved in a one-car crash around 3 a.m.
Moments earlier, Englewood Police had been giving chase to the vehicle after identifying it as stolen out of Lyndhurst. Authorities said it is one of three stolen cars that have been used in recent smash and grab ATM thefts.
Police arrested 20-year-old Newark resident Joshua Alcantara, who attempted to flee on foot following the crash.
He was charged with receiving stolen property, obstruction of justice and hindering prosecution. Alcantara was released, most likely because he was not the driver.
Police believe at least seven people may be involved in the ring, using a 2020 white BMW, the Audi S5 and a Porsche to pull off, or attempting to pull off, ATM thefts in Belleville, Roseland, Carlstadt, Hillside, West Orange and Union.
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Newly released surveillance footage captured the most recent incident that took place at 50 Washington Avenue in Belleville Saturday morning just after midnight.
Police say three suspects smashed the front glass door of a laundromat and removed the ATM from inside. The Audi S5 was one of two vehicles, including the stolen 2020 BMW, that were used in the robbery.
The footage captured the thieves getting away with the ATM.
Eyewitness News reporter Toni Yates spoke to Belleville Police, who say this is a gang of car thieves using stolen cars to commit their crimes.
"They used some sort of device to smash open the plate glass door. Three people went inside and unplugged an ATM, dragged it out and threw it inside an Audi," Belleville Police Det. John McAloon said.
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The ATM from the laundromat in Belleville was found pried open and empty in Newark.
While police try to track down the culprits, they're asking owners of high-end cars to secure their vehicles and not to assume anywhere is safe from criminals.
"Please don't leave your key fobs in the car, you're basically giving a high-end car to someone who's going to drive it recklessly and do malicious things with it," McAloon said.
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