At 7:35PM, Summit Police Department received a report of a stolen 2019 BMW 300 series from a parking spot in front of 21 Union Place on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

The victim stated that he left the vehicle unlocked with the key fob still inside while he entered a nearby business. When he returned to the vehicle, it was gone. Review of video footage in the area shows that the vehicle was left running with the headlights illuminated. The running vehicle appeared to draw the attention of five teenage males as they were walking by. Two of the teens stopped and were seen pacing back and forth around the vehicle for approximately 13 minutes before they entered the vehicle and drove off heading west on Union Place.

Summit Police Department tracked the vehicle using GPS. At 10:15PM, police located and recovered the vehicle parked and unoccupied in East Orange, NJ.

“The unusual length of time that they were pacing around the vehicle before stealing it almost appears that they thought it was a set-up police operation,” explains Summit Police Chief Steven Zagorski. “Unfortunately, this was not the case as the vehicle was left unlocked and running. Please always take your key fob and lock your vehicle even when making a quick stop.”

The incident remains under investigation by both the Detective Bureau and Juvenile Bureau.

For more information on the Summit Police Department, visit the City of Summit website.