Newtown Township police say a well-organized gang of transient thieves from the Broward County area in Florida are believed to be targeting vehicles in Bucks County.
The Felony Lane Gang are the suspected culprits behind a influx of smash and grab thefts from vehicles in what police call “targeted locations” in the area.
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According to authorities, members of the Felony Lane Gang travel up and down the I-95 corridor and target vehicles at parks, fitness centers, daycares and other locations where it is likely mother’s will leave their purses in the car.
In most cases, several male suspects enter a parking lot and use a center punch or similar tool to break the vehicle’s window and quickly steal the wallet, purse or diaper bag, police said. They added the suspects take identification, credit cards, bank checks and cash. The suspect are free of the crime scene in under a minute, police said.
Once in possession of the stolen items, according to police, a group of female suspects use the identifications and checks to go to the victim’s bank to cash the checks. Police even state the women alter their appearance using sunglasses and wigs to closer resemble the victims.
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In a further attempt to avoid identification, the thieves use rented vehicles and often switch license plates from another rented car, police said. The suspect’s also use the outer lane at the drive-thru window at banks, which is often refereed to as the “felony lane,” authorities released to the media Friday afternoon.
According to media reports from around the nation, some members of the gang have been arrested. Ten suspects were nabbed by authorities in Central Pennsylvania in December.
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Newtown Township police said the group is being sought by local, state and federal law enforcement. They also state that car-owners be mindful of the valuables in their car and keep them out of sight.
