Police in South Jersey are investigating after a group of suspected car thieves jumped out of a moving stolen vehicle and fled, leaving it to crash into parked cars and a tree late Friday night. According to the Washington Township Police Department in Gloucester County, around 11 p.m., Friday, A pril 17, 2026, officers responded to the Bateman Farms development for a report of a suspicious vehicle and multiple individuals attempting to enter parked, unlocked cars. Police said responding officers quickly found a white Jeep Compass leaving the development, accompanied by a white Chevrolet SUV. As officers attempted to stop the vehicles, police said both fled the area running a red light at Hurffville-Grenloch Road and Woodbury-Turnersville Road and narrowly avoiding a collision with an oncoming tractor-trailer before continuing into the Grenloch section. Police said as officers closed distance in Grenloch, two suspects exited the Jeep while it was still in drive and fled on foot to the Chevrolet SUV, which was later confirmed to have just been stolen from a Washington Twp. residence on Upton Way. During the foot pursuit, police said the driver of the Jeep slipped twice and was seen concealing an unknown object in his waistband before fleeing in the second vehicle. The unoccupied Jeep continued rolling down Eastview Avenue, striking three parked vehicles before crashing into a tree, according to police. Officers were able to then secure the vehicle and found credit cards, wallets, currency and other items, they believe to be linked to multiple unlocked vehicle burglaries in the area. Police said additional reports of car burglaries were taken on Pennington Way and Upton Way. Further investigation found that the Chevrolet SUV had just been stolen from Bateman Farms, the Jeep Compass was stolen out of West Deptford and the license plate displayed on the Jeep was stolen out of Philadelphia. Investigators describe the suspects as four young men, last seen wearing dark clothing and black face masks. The stolen Chevrolet SUV fled the area and was last seen traveling over the Walt Whitman Bridge into Philadelphia, police said. And the recovered Jeep is at police headquarters, awaiting processing by detectives. The entire incident was caught on police body camera. Joseph Jones, a resident of Washington Township, stated that the incident occurred right near his home and told NBC10 that his friend’s car was one of those that was hit. “An explosion. It sounded like an explosion. At least 15 cops on site,” said Jones. Andrea Thron, who also lives near by said she heard the commotion. “And then I looked out the window and there was a car in the trees in the back of my neighbor’s yard,” said Thron. Thron added, “Car thefts have been a problem in South Jersey for a while and clearly it’s continuing to be a problem.” Anyone with information or surveillance footage is asked to contact the Washington Township Police Detective Bureau at 856-589-0330, ext. 1163. Police said their investigation is ongoing but their message to residents remains the same. “Lock your car doors, turn on your lights on nighttime. Lock your house doors, your fence gates. If you see something, say something call us right away,” said Chief of Police Patrick Gurcsik. ...read more read less