Police in Newark announced a crackdown on auto theft in the city.
Police say the first day of the operation was effective when four juveniles and one adult were arrested Saturday night in a vehicle reported stolen earlier that day from Madison.
According to police, 16-year-old juveniles from Newark and Ahmir Felder, 21, of East Orange were taken into custody after officers spotted them in a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee around 9:25 p.m. at Clinton Avenue and Monmouth Street on April 24.
Two of the juveniles were charged with receiving stolen property; the other two young people and Felder received joyriding charges.
The auto theft operation, which started Friday, uses Automatic License Plate Recognition scanners, devices with cameras and computer technology in real-time that can read license plates.
When officers were on patrol on Saturday, they were able to locate the stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee.
These charges are merely accusations. The suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.