Stealing a vehicle is already a bold, if poorly thought-out, move. Stealing an armored police rescue vehicle takes that decision to an entirely different level.
After all, a Lenco BearCat isn’t exactly the sort of vehicle that blends into traffic. It’s a heavily armored truck built for SWAT teams and other high-risk police operations, making it just about the least discreet getaway vehicle imaginable.
There’s also the small matter of who owns it. If you’re going to steal something, taking it from the very people whose job is investigating thefts, tracking suspects and recovering stolen property seems like a strategy with some obvious flaws.
According to NJ.com, which reviewed a criminal complaint affidavit, investigators say that’s exactly what happened when someone allegedly entered an NJ Transit Police facility in Newark before dawn and drove away in one of the agency’s $500,000 BearCats.
Affidavit Alleges Early-Morning Break-In at NJ Transit Police Facility
NJ.com, citing the affidavit, reports that investigators believe Christopher A. Bruton Frazier, 39, entered the NJ Transit Police Emergency Services Unit headquarters at 703 Ferry Street in Newark during the early morning hours of July 14.
He allegedly arrived near the facility shortly after 2 a.m. in a Lyft, entered a nearby gas station, and then walked toward police headquarters.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators allegedly shows him wandering through the facility before opening the garage bay where a 2018 Lenco BearCat G3 was parked. Police believe he climbed into the armored vehicle shortly after 4 a.m. and drove away minutes later.
Built on a Ford F-550 chassis, the BearCat is designed to provide ballistic protection for officers and civilians during active shooter incidents, hostage rescues, barricaded suspects, and other high-risk emergencies.
The BearCat Allegedly Crashed Into Police Property While Leaving
Police believe Bruton Frazier first attempted to leave through an area of the facility that did not have an exit, according to the affidavit reviewed by NJ.com.
The BearCat allegedly struck an NJ Transit Police Ford F-350, damaged fencing surrounding the department’s K-9 kennels, and hit a garage bay door before finally exiting the property.
Damage was estimated at nearly $13,000, including approximately $9,000 to the Ford F-350, $2,000 to the kennel fencing, $1,800 to the garage door and about $200 to the BearCat’s backup-camera system.
The armored vehicle reportedly left the facility at approximately 4:07 a.m. No injuries were reported.
GPS Tracking Reportedly Led Investigators to the BearCat
The affidavit states the BearCat wasn’t discovered missing until an NJ Transit Police sergeant arrived for work at approximately 5:15 a.m., NJ.com reported.
Investigators then used the vehicle’s onboard GPS system to trace its movements from Newark into Jersey City, where surveillance footage allegedly captured the driver stopping briefly near Garfield Avenue before continuing.
The BearCat was ultimately found abandoned around 6 a.m. near Harper Avenue in Irvington.
Authorities also determined that a 7-inch backup-camera monitor and an 18.5-ounce SABRE pepper-spray fogger were missing from inside the armored vehicle. Together, the items were valued at approximately $430.
New Jersey 101.5, also citing investigators and court records, reported the BearCat traveled roughly five miles into Jersey City before making its way more than a dozen miles back toward Irvington.
Facial Recognition and Witnesses Allegedly Helped Identify the Suspect
NJ.com reports investigators used facial-recognition technology to compare surveillance images and developed Bruton Frazier as a possible suspect.
Detectives then showed those images to Bruton Frazier’s parole officer and the Lyft driver who allegedly dropped him off near the NJ Transit Police facility. Both reportedly identified him.
The parole officer later told investigators she visited Bruton Frazier at his Maplewood residence around 6:41 a.m.—roughly 35 minutes after the BearCat was recovered—and allegedly observed him wearing the same clothing seen in the surveillance footage.
Police arrested Bruton Frazier on July 16 before executing a search warrant at his home.
Investigators allegedly recovered the BearCat’s missing backup-camera monitor and pepper-spray fogger, along with a stun gun, suspected heroin, a Xanax pill, drug paraphernalia, three cellphones and additional electronic devices.
Court documents also state Bruton Frazier gave a recorded statement admitting to stealing the recovered equipment. However, the available reporting does not clearly indicate that he admitted to stealing or driving the BearCat itself.
Official Jail Records Confirm the Charges
The official Essex County Department of Corrections inmate database identifies the defendant as Christopher A. Bruton Frazier, born October 23, 1986.
The database shows he was booked into the Essex County Correctional Facility on July 16, where he remains in custody.
The inmate record lists charges including:
- Burglary
- Theft of a motor vehicle valued at $75,000 or more
- Unlawful taking of a vehicle (joyriding)
- Two counts of theft by unlawful taking
- Four counts of criminal mischief
- Possession of a Schedule I-IV controlled dangerous substance
- Possession of prescription medication without a valid prescription
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Unlawful possession of a weapon
- Certain persons not to have weapons following a prior conviction
The jail database lists no bond amount or projected release date.
Daily Voice reported that NJ Transit spokesman Kyalo Mulumba confirmed Bruton Frazier had been charged but declined further comment while the investigation remains ongoing.
Readers Wondered How the Theft Was Even Possible
The unusual case quickly drew comparisons online to a real-life version of Grand Theft Auto, but many readers focused on a different question: How was someone allegedly able to enter a police facility and drive away in an armored emergency vehicle?
Some questioned whether the BearCat had been left unlocked or with its keys inside. Others wondered whether alarms should have alerted officers sooner and why the vehicle apparently wasn’t discovered missing until a sergeant arrived for work more than an hour later.
Neither the available court reporting nor NJ Transit’s brief public response addresses how the BearCat was started or whether its keys had been left inside.
Others questioned why NJ Transit Police operates a $500,000 armored vehicle. The agency’s Emergency Services Unit responds to high-risk incidents across New Jersey’s transit system, and BearCats are designed to safely transport officers and rescue civilians during dangerous situations requiring ballistic protection.
Bruton Frazier is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.