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Union County Police Officers Recognized for Uncovering International Luxury Car Theft Ring

Union County, NJ – In the early morning hours of May 9, Union County Police Officer Kenneth Matz responded to a routine stolen vehicle alert from the LoJack tracking system in his cruiser, and the result was anything but routine. Officer Matz followed the signal until it ended at a storage yard where numerous other stolen vehicles were waiting for overseas shipment.

“The Freeholder Board is very proud of the officers involved in this action, and we appreciate the contributions that the LoJack Corporation has made to the safety and security of Union County residents,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Deborah Scanlon.

The events began to unfold at approximately 1:00 a.m. Upon detecting a LoJack stolen vehicle alert, Officer Matz tracked the signal to a storage yard on Elston Street in Rahway.  On a hunch, he used his on-board mobile data computer to check the Vehicle Identification Number of another vehicle parked on the premises. That car had been reported stolen in April.

Assisted by other patrol officers, Matz secured the area until the daylight hours and the arrival of Union County Police Lieutenant Robert McGuire and Detective Nicholas Incannella. They identified several more stolen cars on the premises, including two motorcycles and two late model luxury vehicles that had been carjacked in Newark.

“This is a fine example of the kind of results we can expect when law enforcement technology is combined with exceptional heads-up field police work,” said Union County Police Chief Dan Vaniska.

In appreciation of their outstanding police work, the LoJack Corporation presented awards to several Union County Police Officers at a ceremony in the Ralph Froehlich Public Safety Building in Westfield on Wednesday, July 6. Recognized from the County Police Patrol Division were Officer Matz, Officer Giovanni Arlia and Sergeant Joseph Nordstrom. Also recognized from the County Police Investigation Division were Lieutenant McGuire and Detective Incannella.

Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (2nd L) and Linda Carter join Union County Public Safety Director Andrew Moran (L) and Union County Police Chief Daniel Vaniska (R) in congratulating a team of County Police officers as they are recognized by Ray Oleavia (6th R), Ed Suriano (5th R) and Phil Rivoli (4thR) of LoJack for recently recovering several stolen cars and motorcycles at one location in Rahway using LoJack technology. The officers are (from left) Sergeant Joseph Nordstrom, Officer Kenneth Matz, Officer Giovanni Arlia, Lieutenant Robert McGuire and Detective Nicholas Incannella. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.