(The following appeared on the Hudson Reporter website on December 10, 2009.)
HOBOKEN, N.J. — Since July, nine Mercedes-Benz SUVs have been stolen from North Bergen railroad parking lot, where they are kept after a train drops them off to be delivered to a dealership.
On Tuesday, Dec. 1, police received a report that a silver 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-450 model valued at $70,000 had been stolen, said Commander of the Detective Bureau Lt. Frank Cannella.
The vehicle was the ninth to be stolen off the lot at 2480 Secaucus Rd. this year. The lot is owned by the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, said Cannella.
In July, six SUVs were stolen, while three weeks ago, another two were taken off the lot. All vehicles were GL-450s and 550s.
According to Cannella, a driver from Precision Motor Transport Group was getting ready to load vehicles that had recently been received via rail and deliver them to a dealership when he realized he needed to back up a vehicle in order to fit another Mercedes Benz on his trailer.
When he got out of the vehicle, he left the keys on the dashboard and went to operate the other SUV, said Cannella.
“[He witnessed] a tall white male enter the vehicle and drive it off the lot, south on Secaucus Road at a high rate of speed,” said Canella.
“I believe they have an extremely serious internal security problem,” said Cannella.