A woman has been arrested in New Jersey for her role in a multi-state car theft ring that stole vehicles throughout the Northeast, according to authorities.
On Jan. 15, Tiffine Kyte was extradited from Warren County to law enforcement in Connecticut, according to police in Old Saybrook, Conn.
The 37-year-old woman from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is charged with four counts of larceny and six counts of conspiracy to commit larceny.
Kyte is accused of being involved with a car theft ring that stole at least 20 vehicles throughout New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Eight New Jersey police departments, including Keyport, reported connected car thefts.
Police said the stolen vehicles were worth a combined $2.4 million and that the incidents dated back to March 2024.
The thieves stole the cars after visits to dealerships, police said. In February 2025, an Old Saybrook dealership reported two stolen vehicles.
Investigators found that the thieves took the vehicles for test drives while pretending to car shop. Police said that the cars' key fobs were cloned or swapped out, and then the cars were stolen later.
Key fob cloning has become more common over the last year. In November, police in Philadelphia started an awareness campaign to warn residents about the increase in high-tech vehicle thefts.
Authorities recommend that you buy an “OBD lock," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. After the device is installed, only a separate key can remove the onboard diagnostics tool.
Another good way to protect against key fob cloning is to purchase a Faraday bag or pouch. These bags block the electromagnetic signals used to clone a key fob.
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