Rockaway Township Police say 78-year-old Vera Buniak was the wheel woman for her grandson and his friend, who stole $4,000 worth of electronic equipment from a home they burglarized.
Officers pulled Buniak over after a neighbor called the cops to report a home was being burglarized on Rolling Ridge Drive. According to the Daily Record, investigators found that the grandson’s friend, 24-year-old Melanie Coviello, had the key to the Realtor lockbox outside the home, allowing her to enter without force.
Police say Coviello and 18-year-old Timothy Buniak made off with a Nintendo Wii, video games and other items, which were found in the grandmother’s car. Heroin and a hypodermic needle were also discovered in the vehicle, officers say.
It was not clear whether the grandmother realized her passengers had stolen the items from the house, according to the NY Daily News.
The grandmother was charged with possession of stolen property. Her grandson with burglary, theft, possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance. His friend, Coviello was also charged with burglary, theft and possession of stolen property.
Both are behind bars at the Morris County Jail. The grandmother was released on her own recognizance.
