The thieves drove the Grand Cherokee nearly an hour away from its home before wrecking it.
It was a very early Tuesday morning in late January. A West Caldwell, New Jersey, homeowner jolted awake from a strange noise. The resident moved to see what was going on at the home’s rear sliding glass door. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, they were confronted by three armed men.
The trio forced the back sliding door open before intercepting the homeowner. They bound his wrists and ankles with tape, then held him at gunpoint. The invaders combed through the home, gathering select possessions, including the keys to his Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The West Caldwell Police Department got the call around 4:30 a.m. of an occupied home invasion/robbery. Upon first responder arrival, though, the invaders had already fled in the Jeep.
Shortly after, authorities located the Grand Cherokee in New Brunswick, wrecked and abandoned nearly an hour away from the home.
Yesterday, West Caldwell police announced the arrest of three suspects on their Facebook page. U.S. Homeland Security Investigations is involved. Authorities say the home was an intentional target.
“32-year-old Joel Llanes, 30-year-old Israel Ruiz and 25-year-old Louis Ramirez of North Brunswick face charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree home invasion, and first-degree kidnapping. The suspects also face multiple weapons and conspiracy charges,” the follow-up post stated.
Online, the community response is a mix of gratitude and anger at the invasion. Some recounted similar incidents, wherein homes are broken into during early morning hours with residents inside sleeping. There seems to be a targeted inventory in mind in some cases.
As for the Jeep, a 2014 year model, things could go several different ways. Depending on the level of damage, it might be totaled out…if the owner has full coverage car insurance. If not, it’ll be on the homeowner to handle repairs or replacement and then trek his way through the court system, which could take a lot of time and might not be financially worth the pursuit.
