A man stole a van, burglarized a home, and tried stealing a second vehicle before being caught – thanks to fast acting members of Boro Park Shomrim.

On Tuesday afternoon, a Shomrim volunteer driving down 59 Street between 18th and 19th Avenues, came across an abandoned van parked in middle of the street with the motor running. The Shomrim member walked over, and not finding anyone inside, asked a construction crew working there if they knew whose van it was. They responded that a man simply stopped the van, jumped out, and ran.

The NYPD was called, and police quickly determined that the van had been stolen from a lot on 65 Street. Meanwhile, as police were continuing their investigation, Shomrim received a call on their 24 hour hotline stating that a person was sitting inside a parked car in their backyard. Shomrim volunteers responded and found a man sitting in the vehicle.

Meanwhile, additional Shomrim members began securing video camera footage from homes on 59 Street, and immediately saw that the driver of the van was the same individual sitting inside the vehicle in a backyard. Additionally, they found video footage of the same suspect breaking into a home on 59 Street. He was reportedly inside the home for at least 5 minutes.

The suspect was taken into custody by police, and was charged with burglary, and grand larceny auto.

Sources tell YWN that the suspect has previous arrests, including one for possession of a firearm.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)