New Jersey governor signs law increasing penalties for home invasions

NEW JERSEY (PIX11) – Three suspects, one of them carrying a crowbar, all wearing hoodies and full face masks, cased out a home in Edison, New Jersey, last year.

Manasi Mathur says she awoke to a flurry of camera motion notifications as the trio of youthful-looking suspects tried to find a way into her home. Presumably, she says, they were looking for the keys to steal her family’s locked Porsche and Range Rover SUVs.

“It was quite traumatizing. They were trying to open each and every door,” said Mathur.

The suspects ultimately left empty-handed; it was a close call.

But the experience was worrisome enough to compel Manasi to push for and celebrate Governor Phil Murphy’s signing of a new law on Friday.

It comes with much stiffer penalties for committing a home invasion or residential burglary – up to 20 years in prison, even for offenders as young as 15 years old.

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi says the criminal offenders are getting younger and younger.

The current law sympathizes more with the perpetrators rather than justice for the victims,” said Mayor Joshi.

Gov. Phil Murphy added, “This is a national dilemma. There are very few states in America that are taking the steps that we’re going to take today. When it comes to public safety, we need to reject the notion that fairness comes at the cost of vigilance. I don’t agree with the premise that it steers away from rehabilitation. The best thing I can do right now for that 15-year-old—I hope they’re listening to me—is don’t do it.”

The NJ ACLU criticized the new law in a statement that reads in part:

“This bill will only serve to further fuel mass incarceration and funnel young people into the criminal legal system. It’s past time for the Legislature to adopt data-driven solutions that prioritize humanity over punishment.”

But attempted home invasion victim Manasi Mathur needs no convincing, especially after watching that trio of suspects try to break into her home.

“We haven’t slept the same way ever. If it’s after 8 or 9 o’clock, if we are in the house, watching TV, we turn on our alarm. It feels different, and it just tells you the world is changing, and you have to change your way of living,” said Mathur.

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