Brazen thief caught on camera walking through Paramus family home before stealing BMW

PARAMUS, N.J. — Police are looking for the man behind a brazen crime in the Garden State.

They say a car thief entered a house while the family was upstairs and stole the car keys, before driving off with a BMW.

As CBS2’s Nick Caloway reported on Wednesday, surveillance video shows the suspect sneaking around the family home in Paramus.

The suspected criminal is seen by cameras outside and inside the home in the city’s Bruce Drive area on Monday evening.

It all started around 11 p.m. The suspect gets out of a white SUV on the street, wearing a ski mask, then tries several doors before finding one of the garage unlocked.

From there it makes its way into the house. He rummages through a few coats in the hallway before going even further into the house.

He is later seen hiding near a staircase.

The family that lives in the house was just up the stairs.

According to the police, the burglar found the keys to the victim’s car and then drove off where he came from. Outside in the driveway, he is seen getting into the family’s black BMW and taking off.

The victims wouldn’t speak to CBS2 on camera, but the episode left the neighbors in disbelief.

“It’s dangerous,” said one.

“It’s brazen. It’s terrible. I’m sure it’s scary for the owner,” Dan Cooney added.

Paramus police said it was at least the third time in recent months that thieves broke into homes in the borough to steal the keys to high-end cars. Mayor Rich LaBarbiera said this problem is not unique to Paramus and the criminals are getting even more brazen.

“At first it was, ‘Let’s see if the door is unlocked and if there’s a key fob in it. Now they’re going to get the keys so they can get into the car and drive away,” LaBarbiera said.

Police recommend residents lock doors and vehicles, and lock doors between the garage and living space.

Remarkably, the victims say the same car that was stolen Monday night was also stolen in April. This time they admit to leaving a key fob in the car.

The stolen car has still not been found.