Man Admits Lifting $100K in Car Parts, Reselling on Craigslist

A Kearny man was arrested this week after he admitted stealing thousands of dollars worth of car parts from cars parked in dealerships and lots in and around Mahwah, and reselling them on Craigslist, police said Wednesday.

Jose Acevedo, 23, was arrested Monday after allegedly stealing over $100,000 worth of parts from lots in Mahwah, Upper Saddle River, Paramus, Wayne and Denville between July and December 2012, Mahwah Detective Michael Grassi told Patch Wednesday.

“He admitted to four thefts in Mahwah – three at a remote storage lot and one at a Route 17 car dealership,” Grassi said. Mahwah Police charged Acevedo with four counts of burglary, four counts of theft, two counts of criminal mischief, and two counts of criminal trespassing, and Acevedo is facing more charges from the other jurisdictions, Grassi said.

The thefts were similar in all 11 cases, Grassi said.

“He would break the windows to steal the tire lug nut key, jack up the car, put it on cinder blocks, and steal the tires and rims,” Grassi said. “Then put the parts up on Craigslist in the next two days.”

Investigators from four towns worked to crack the case, Grassi said, and identified Acevedo through survaillance videos, information from his Craigslist postings and a fingerprint left at one of the crime scenes in Upper Saddle River, Grassi said.

According to police, Acevedo is facing other charges as well. He was arrested in Clifton in December while attempting to steal tires and rims in a similar way, Grassi said. And, Ramsey Police are investigating whether or not Acevedo was involved in similar incidents at three other Route 17 car dealerships, Ramsey Chief Bryan Gurney said Wednesday.

Acevedo has been remanded to the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail, police said.

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