Family blows car thief's cover: cops

Stealing cars may be an operation best orchestrated secretly, but this thief may have been better off letting his family in on the secret.

Suffern police said they arrested Robert Mann, 59, on Friday after he allegedly stole a car and parked it in his driveway — only to have a family member unwittingly blow his cover.

Around 8:30 p.m. on March 21, Mann allegedly took a car belonging to an employee of a business on Orange Avenue, police said. The car was unlocked, with the keys and the employee's cell phone on the front seat, police said.

Mann drove the car back to his Stony Point home, parked it in his driveway, went inside and fell asleep, police said. A family member of Mann's later saw the unfamiliar car and found a phone number for the car's registered owner, police said.

Mann's family member spoke to the car owner's mother about why the car was in the Manns' driveway, police said.

"As you can imagine, that conversation took a few twists and turns," police wrote in a Facebook post about the incident.

The family member then called Stony Point police and it was discovered that the car had been stolen, police said.

Mann was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, police said.

Mann was arraigned in Suffern Village Court on Friday and released on $750 bail. He is due back in court on Tuesday.

Twitter: @MattSpillane