Two Cumberland County men were arrested in connection to a truck stealing spree that police say left local businesses with tens of thousands of dollars in damage.
On April 6, Stephen Rodriguez, 19, of Vineland allegedly stole a pickup truck pulling a boat trailer. As he was driving the stolen truck, he struck a fence at Rudco Products Incorporated on East Oak Road in Vineland before crashing into five parked vehicles at Moe’s Auto Sales on the 800 block of South Delsea Drive, police said.
“They just came in, did the damage and took off," said Moises Afanador, the owner of Moe’s Auto.
Police say the incident was part of a three-week truck stealing spree which ended Saturday when Rodriguez and 19-year-old Daniel Santos allegedly broke into Joffe Lumber Supply in Vineland. The two men then caused up to $50,000 in damage to five of the company’s box trucks, according to officials.
“No one has any business doing that to any small business,” Afanador said.
Officials say the two men took two of the trucks from Joffe Lumber, which were equipped with GPS tracking devices, all the way to Woodbine and then to Atlantic City. They were eventually stopped by police as they were on their way to Vineland, investigators said.
“Whatever reason they’re doing it, they’re stupid because surveillance is all over the place,” Afanador said.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Rodriguez and Santos were arrested and charged with theft of auto, burglary and eluding. Rodriguez is also charged with possession of marijuana. Both men are being held in the Cumberland County Jail.
