FLORHAM PARK, New Jersey (WABC) — The culprits watched a New Jersey neighborhood for days, watching who came and went and when. They then detonated a strange-looking device to disable the home’s wireless alarm system, allowing them to break in and steal money and jewelry.
The same thing happened to a Florham Park resident this week.
“He was at home and the suspect approached and forced his way into the resident’s home,” said Lt. Brian Ford with New Jersey State Police.
Lt. Ford said the victim tried to call 911 but had no cell phone signal.
“He was unable to use his mobile phone to call for help so had to flee the house and luckily had to rely on a passerby to make the call,” Ford added.
The thief ran away in fear and the resident was not injured, but the crime is on the rise across the country. The device, called a “WiFi jammer,” emits a powerful pulse that temporarily disables wireless devices.
“Yes, it jams cell phone signals. Anything that uses wireless communication is jammed 100 percent,” Ford said.
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Police Department issued a warning to Southern California residents.
“It’s a pretty sophisticated system. Police will have surveillance vehicles ready in advance and monitor the area – someone watching the house, someone waiting on the next block or a few houses away, a getaway car,” Ford added.
Loni Perlin has lived in Florham Park for more than 40 years.
“If they disable the equipment in our house, the WiFi to call 911, what will happen to us? I’m really, really scared,” Perlin said.
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