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EVESHAM – An alleged scheme to steal a car from a gym parking lot didn’t work out for two Trenton teens, police said.
The teens are charged with third-degree theft after a vehicle was taken from the LA Fitness parking lot earlier this month, Evesham Township police announced Friday.
Kytavia Thomas, 18, and her alleged accomplice, a 17-year-old male, were both charged on Dec. 18 following interviews and an extensive investigation into the Dec. 9 theft, police said.
Thomas allegedly entered the women’s locker room at the gym on Route 73 in Marlton, and took a member’s car key from a locker, according to police.
More: Feds: Crime spree took toll on Marlton shops, Mount Laurel country club
The pair then found and stole the member’s vehicle, police said.
Gyms are popular targets for crime, since thieves know belongings will be left unattended for a period of time. And this time of year is gym season, presumably because of New Year’s resolutions: More than 12 percent of gym members join in January, compared to an average of 8.3 percent per month for the full year, according to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association.
In January of this year, police in two South Jersey towns reported thefts from gyms. One involved the theft of unspecified items from Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club. In the other incident, a member at Delran’s Edge Fitness reported that his credit cards were taken from his vehicle when he was inside the gym.
And in March 2018, a Voorhees man was chargedin a rash of thefts at the same Marlton LA Fitness that was targeted this month, police said.
Cash, credit cards, wallets and gym bags had been taken from cars and lockers over a three-month period, according to Evesham police.
After that string of thefts, Evesham police issued these crime-prevention reminders for gym members:
– Take in only what you absolutely need.
– Leave your valuable items at home or secure them in the trunk of your car before you enter the parking lot.
– Use your own lock to secure your property in a gym locker, and don’t make it a cheap one (for example, don’t use a $5 lock for a $500 phone).
Sheri Berkery is the trending reporter at the Courier-Post, covering the topics that people are talking about on social media and in real life. If you think you have a story idea that’s a “talker,” contact her at 856.486.2673 or sberkery@gannettnj.com
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