A NJ gang, composed primarily of young Hispanic males, is breaking into cars at Harriman trailheads. Thus far they've been reported at Reeves Meadow, Sebago, and Rt. 106/210/White Bar. This same group was active last year, disappeared after some arrests were made, and now has re-surfaced just during the last few days.

Their MO is very consistent: they break in via the passenger-side door lock, and search the car primarily for credit cards. They try to leave the car looking as much as possible as it was before their entry, presumably to delay reporting of the entry and any credit card thefts.

They tend to travel in older-model cars with NJ plates, are not dressed like hikers, and probably will not behave the way legitimate park visitors do. (see account below)

• Do not leave any valuables in parked cars, especially credit cards. Do not leave any tempting targets visible (purses, wallets, or anything that looks like these), even if they contain nothing important.
• Hikers should be sure to check their passenger-side door locks upon returning to their cars. (Damage will be visible if a break-in occurred.) If a break-in occurred, any credit cards that were in the car should be checked for immediately.
• Be alert to any suspicious activity at trailheads. Try to note any related license plates. If possible, try to call park police (845-786-2781) about any current activity.

A car with two young men, probably Hispanic by appearance, arrived at the White Bar parking this morning about the same time as my group. They sat in their car for a few minutes, then hurried up the White Bar trail southbound from the parking lot for a short distance, then left the trail to run directly up the hill. They were wearing long pants and sneakers, and carried no gear or water whatsoever. They stayed away for the next 10 minutes or so that we were at the lot.

When we returned, the driver of the other car immediately noticed that her passenger-side door was not quite shut securely, and determine that the lock had been damaged. We suspect that they set off the alarm in the neighboring car (because it signaled when disarmed that it had been activated at some point during the day) and that this made them leave in haste, as they apparently did not find an item in the car that should have interested them, and they left the door noticeably ajar, not in keeping with their usual "neatness".

The affected party later reported the incident to park police. What she heard led directly to me sending this message out.

A suggestion: please keep in mind that young Hispanic men from NJ also could come to the park to hike ... and that young white or other-race men could be part of this gang and come to the park to steal. (There *might* also be some women involved, BTW.) Close attention should be paid to behavior and dress in assessing a situation.