Burglars steal from cars in Gloucester County

Police in Glassboro say there is an uptick in vehicle burglaries after a group of suspects swarmed a residential neighborhood overnight, breaking into unlocked cars and stealing personal items.

GLASSBORO, NJ – Police in Glassboro say vehicle burglaries are on the rise after a group of suspects swarmed a residential neighborhood overnight, breaking into unlocked cars and stealing personal items — and one South Jersey woman says her stolen SUV was used as a getaway vehicle in the crime.

What we know:

The Glassboro Police Department released surveillance video on their Facebook page showing several individuals canvassing the area between Greentree and Fishpond roads. 

The video also captures a white SUV believed to be connected to the burglary spree.

Brittany Furlong, of Blackwood, said the vehicle seen in the footage is her white Chevy Traverse, which was stolen from outside her home early Sunday morning.

What they’re saying:

“That’s 100% my vehicle — that’s five minutes from where I live,” Furlong said.

Furlong, who is six months pregnant and has two young children, said her family is devastated.

“My emotions are everywhere,” she said. “I have a 22-month-old. I have a child in middle school. It’s the holidays. I just started a new job 30 minutes away, and we just made the second payment on the car three days ago.”

Camden County police later recovered the SUV, but Furlong said investigators told her she cannot have it back yet because the vehicle may have been used in additional crimes.

“They’re going to investigate it and pull DNA,” she said.

The incident follows a string of recent vehicle thefts in the borough. Just two weeks ago, Glassboro police released footage of suspects wanted in another car theft at a local Wawa.

Maria Colan, a Rowan University student, said her vehicle was broken into at her dorm around the same time.

“My car got broken into two weeks ago at my dorm,” Colan said. “I was pretty mad. I was just in my bed sleeping when it happened.… I was pretty hurt — I’m just a college student.”

Local perspective:

Glassboro police declined to comment Monday on the recent cases. 

Officials urged residents to lock their vehicles, remove key fobs, and park in garages when possible as thefts continue to rise across South Jersey.

Crime & Public SafetyGloucester County