RHONJ star Teresa Giudice's vehicle stolen from her Montville home, police say

Teresa Giudice, a cast member of Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey," reported a vehicle stolen from her driveway Tuesday morning, according to police in Montville, where the reality TV star lives with her husband, Luis Ruelas.

Police released few details on Thursday while the incident remains under investigation, but Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano said "all leads are being followed."

Giudice called in the theft just before 8 a.m., telling authorities her 2022 White Mercedes-Benz was taken.

Officials in Trenton have been working to reduce vehicle thefts amid a spike in the crime's numbers over the past couple of years by introducing a spate of bills that would fund anti-gang activity and impose stiffer penalties on defendants convicted of stealing automobiles.

Approximately 15,644 vehicles were reported stolen in 2022, according to testimony from Maj. Larry Williams of the New Jersey State Police, who spoke to lawmakers about the proposed measures.

That number brings last year's total to 1,000 more reported vehicle thefts than in 2021, and nearly 4,000 more than in 2020.

However, despite Gov. Phil Murphy's description of the current crime wave as a "near-epidemic," state data shows there were 16,471 car thefts reported in 2012, which was a decline from the year before.

More:RHONJ Season 13 premiere: It's a new Teresa Giudice, 'raw as a cucumber'

Giudice is not the only Real Housewives cast member whose vehicle was the subject of a crime.

In March 2017, Paterson firefighters pulled two charred bodies from an Audi, later found to belong to Giudice's co-star Kim DePaola, as it was consumed by flames on East 28th Street in the city.

An investigation determined DePaola's son lent the car to a friend, one of two victims who were shot in the head before their killer lit the vehicle ablaze.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Teresa Giudice of RHONJ fame has vehicle stolen in Montville