A nap in the back of a car in Newark turned into a surreal nightmare for a tired musician after thieves jumped in the car and started to drive off Sunday morning.

Justin Koerner said he spent the night playing music with friends on Orchard Avenue, but went off to sleep in his car as they continued to jam because he had early obligations. He turned on his Ford Escape and crawled in the back for some shut eye.

"I had a weird dream that somebody sat on my head and that somebody jumped into the front seat of my car," Koerner said. "It was all very surreal."

Koerner woke up later inside a crashed car. Newark police said someone got in while he was sleeping intent on stealing his car, but bailed after they started to drive off and noticed someone sleeping in the back.

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Koerner said he woke up, jumped in the front in a stupor, made some corrections to the vehicle before it crashed on Woodlawn Avenue and then went right back to sleep.

The details were still hazy for Koerner, as got out of his car and was confronted by people gathered and pointing at him. "There he is," he said someone exclaimed. "You're going away for a long time, buddy," another said.

Koerner said he saw car treads in the lawn and a destroyed bush. One of his tires was ruined. In a flash, he said, he realized he hadn't been dreaming at all.

Newark police arrived on the scene and gave him a full sobriety test, which Koerner said he passed. But he said police were skeptical of his story, and Koerner said he was, too.

Koerner said police treated him like a suspect and were about to take him in when another officer told them a neighbor had security camera footage that showed men leaving a white suburban, getting into his car, putting it in gear and then bailing out.

Koerner said the footage saved him from having to prove himself an innocent man. Newark police would not release the footage because it's part of the investigation.

"It was a ridiculous situation," he said. "It was like the Shawshank Redemption of GTA."

Police are asking anyone with information to call 302-366-7100, ext. 3427.

The people on the security footage were seen arriving in a gray Chevrolet Suburban. New Castle County Police on Tuesday arrested four people for crimes like the one Koerner described who were traveling in a gray Suburban.

Contact Adam Duvernay at (302) 319-1855 or aduvernay@delawareonline.com

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