VIDEO: [UPDATED] A cab of a tractor trailer found abandoned with Arabic literature inside this morning, sent police, LCSW and Chaveirim on a search and put the department on high alert. At about 4:30 AM, a cab – without its load – was found with its engine on near a office building off New Hampshire Avenue early this morning, leading police to believe the load may have been dropped off at another location and posing a threat.
Not taking any chances, all available police units immediately began searching all possible targets including Shuls, schools and other large buildings around town. Sources say Police Chief Rob Lawson was out searching too.
Police also reached out to Chaveirim and LCSW to discuss the situation and all available members of the organizations were dispatced as well to try and locate the truck.
The cab was impounded by police.
Lakewood’s Detetctive Bureau and the Ocean County Sheriff’s department are investigating.
(NOTE: Upon request from officials, the incident was not reported earlier so as not to cause any concern in the community).
The following is a statement submitted to TLS by Police Chief Rob Lawson:
“At about 4:30am this morning, a Lakewood Patrol Officer found a Kenworth Tractor parked on Health Care Way off New Hampshire Avenue. The vehicle which was idling, did not have a trailer attached to it and was unoccupied. The officer noted that the ignition of this vehicle had been punched out and that there were newspapers in the cab in Arabic”.
“The owner of the vehicle was notified and confirmed that it was indeed stolen. Ocean County and State Homeland Security officials were notified and all on duty Lakewood Police Officers were assigned to check the entire town, street by street, for anything of a suspicious nature. Chaveirim and LCSW were notified and they assisted by checking all of the housing developments in Lakewood as well as other areas”.
“The material written in Arabic that was in the vehicle was determined to be mundane and not extremist in nature. The investigation of the stolen vehicle is continuing but at this time I do not believe that there is any immediate threat to our community”. TLS.
Wow. Thank you LPD and Chief Rob for keeping us safe. Glad this turned out to be a false alarm.
What is the sherrif taking pictures of??
FBI!
#1MOMMA: this is not a false alarm.
this trailer is still missing & could be packed with bombs. OR THIS WAS A DRY RUN TO TEST THE EASE OF INFILTRATION.
Thank you Chief, all involved in the search, and of course the patrolman who realized the threat in the first place
a special thank you to yhe Ocean County Sheriff deaprtment and LCSW for being out there keeping us safe
Must be of the scenery.
#2 When you join the sheriff’s dept. you’ll know.
where do you see we are safe? the truck is still missing. the truck is the problem not the cab part.
maybe there should be a general warning to people to keep their eyes out for suspicious activity or the truck.
Reading material mundane……yea it was arabs reading in their mother language which just confirms to us that they were arabic.
since when is it a crime to read arabic?
thanks lcsw for keeping us safe 24/7
Duh! It’s a crime to steal a vehicle
Did anyone entertain the possiblity that perhaps someone stole the truck with the trailer and met up with another truck, took the trailer off the stolen truck and hooked it up to their own truck and made off with it . The trailer probably had merchandise they wanted. Just because there is an arab newspaper doesnt mean its terrorists . I think its just a robbery
Maybe this can be a wake up call for us to be aware of our brothers in Erettz Yisrael’s plight. They are under constant threat of daily terrorist attacks Hashem Yishmar. It would be nice to say daily tehilim and have a yom tefila for them ever so often. Lets not forget yerushalayim and those who live there – Im Eshkochach Yerushalayim….
yes there is always one in a crowd. Take away from this dangerous issue one thing…crime to read arablic. No it is not a crime to read arabic,it is a crime to steal!!! Anyone can read anything in any language at any time,no one cares. The stealing part is the issue. Don’t detract from the issue at hand.
The Chief said that they contacted the owner of the truck and he confirmed that ‘his’ truck was stolen (his cab). It is very possible that there was no trailer attached to it, which B”H means no danger!
First suspicious packages at shop rite and another strip mall…. Now a stolen truck cab… Sounds very suspicious… Hopefully not a dry run c”v… Elul!!! Do teshuvah!!! Wake up call!!! Everybody should always be on the lookout for anything suspicious and report immediately… Better false alarm than alternative.. No place is safe no matter where… Yes even in Lakewood far away from NYC!
It was in indian not arabic……..
Will someone explain what the LCSW did that made one bit of useful good today? Now chaverim on the other hand was low key and another set of eyes and ears, while LCSW just flashed some lights and did nothing. And how about the PD, they kept it low key as well and professional. You criticize all the time for not doing enough or going to the extreme, today was a low key heightened approach that caused no harm, alarm or disruption of services. So the men in blue and white deserve a job well done.
Remember never say never, and most important, if you see something say something. Take your heads out of the sand its just a matter of time until they hit us at home again. Lets be safe than sorry.
#18 maybe you should know your facts before talking like you do
lcsw identified 2 things within 5 minutes in 2 diffrent locations lets see you do some good detective work !
maybe join them they need you !
remeber they are here for you and if you dont like them then dont call them but dont critize people who give from htier own time for the community .the fact is that the have caused alot of crime to go down since they statrted and i wish them the best !
i saw an arabic woman driving today. it just caught my eye cuz i realize i never see them around here (she cut me off, too)
As far as I know, many independant truckers own their own cabs, but drive other people’s trailers. There may never have been a trailer involved. If there were, they’d still be searching for it. If it belonged to the owner of the cab, they would have gotten a description of it and then published the details. That said, the manner in which this incident was handled was incredibly professional and well coordinated. Thank you to all those involved for a job well done.