Evan Wexler car thief warning shot
Courtesy Evan Wexler

 

Meat magnate Evan Wexler is a car guy. He owns a number of very expensive automobiles and his collection has made his Fort Lee, New Jersey home a target for thieves. He says his home has been targeted 25 times since 2019.

Earlier this year, he heard someone trying to break into his Mercedes G-Wagon that was parked in front of his house. Thieves have used that strategy before to get access to the other exotic cars on the premises.

When Wexler heard the thief at work, he didn’t bother getting dressed before grabbing an AR-15 and confronting the would-be thief while standing on his front porch. Here’s security video of the incident . . .

It isn’t clear from the video, but when the thief started the car, Wexler fired a warning shot into the air. That was enough to cause the thief to take off into the night, but when police arrived, they were more concerned with the warning shot than the attempted robbery.

As the New York Post reports . . .

Cops originally charged Wexler with aggravated assault and possession of weapons for unlawful purposes, but he grudgingly pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of possession of a deadly weapon to make the case go away. That weapon was a different gun police found on his property, which was illegal because the magazine held too many bullets.

“I’m a guy who’s terrorized living in Fort Lee,” Wexler said.

“An incident happens where a guy gets my car started, I came out of the house with a rifle, the guy puts the car into drive, drives forward, and my gun discharges.

As a result of the plea bargain, Wexler has had to sell off all of his guns. He’ll avoid jail time, but will be on probation for the next two years.

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again. Presidential self-defense advice notwithstanding, warning shots are a very bad idea. They’re illegal in most places and you’re responsible for every round that leaves your gun. Pulling a trigger when your life isn’t threatened is very difficult to defend to police and prosecutors…as Mr. Wexler has now discovered. Don’t do it.

 

 

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56 COMMENTS

  1. Calling folks of African descent colored is such a silly thing. This dude is so pink he could be a gender-reveal party prop. 😂😂 as Bugs Bunny would say, what a maroon…

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  4. Warning shots may very well be ill advised, but what this guy did is insignificant compared to what the thief tried to do. In an earlier time what the homeowner did wouldn’t be considered a criminal act.
    So, the guy was victimized both by the thieves who have repeatedly tried to steal his property and by a “justice” system that throws the book at him.

    • Once again an example of law enforcement being able to make a choice that allows people to retain their property, or going with totalitarian policing, and they choose the latter.

      Its not all cops. But it’s far, far too many being the strong arm of those who hate them, but have no problem getting them to enforce their view of how society should be.

    • We live in an upside down world where committing a crime is not as significant as trying to stop the criminal from committing the crime.

      I’ve said two things consistently:
      1). No government (repubs included) wants their citizens armed so looking to the supremes to save us from liberal gun control is a waste of time.
      2). Until “Defense of property” is considered to be a “justifiable use of lethal force”, nothing will change.

    • We’re not hearing the whole story. No way in hell a rich man caved to that manner of BS without a jury trial occurring first. I might add that if I were stupid enough to fire warning shots while naked on my porch, after 25 such invasions previously, I would not have reported it to the po-po, nor released the video. Story is BS.

    • Like Mr. Ricard Feder, he deserves to live in New Jersey…

  10. Hmm… according to Mercedes website that G-class SUV has an MSRP ‘starting at’ $131,750.00. You’d think they’d equip it with Lo Jack or some kind of anti-theft device for that kind of money.

    • A Lo Jack is stupid. Who wants the car back after they have damaged it by stealing it? That is what insurance is for. No matter what kind of insurance you have, it will never be right. Better insurance takes care of it and you wipe your hands of the headache.

  11. The idiot that wrote this article is certified idiot. Warning shots are OK inside the house, but not outside. New Jersey is the problem. This is a state where criminals are coddled by the Democrats and the police are used to terrorize honest citizens. Best thing for this individual is to move out of NJ and take his tax money to somewhere else.

    • Huh? Bullets can never under any circumstances exit a house? If you fire a warning shot and people hear this, they’re not going to know what you’re doing, they’re just gonna hear a BANG. How does that make you look? Like you were shooting at someone? How are they going to know you weren’t? Gee, officer, I don’t know why people are saying I shot at the guy. You risk more people hearing something than seeing something, that puts your freedom in jeopardy, you risk sending a bullet to God knows where.

      In this story the bad guy ran off. What if that guy is not sober or full of who knows what drugs? Hardcore criminals aren’t scared of guns. You have no idea who you are facing, whether that person is armed, etc.

      Shooting a warning shot is one of the dumbest things you can do. Use that weapon properly and don’t put yourself at risk when you don’t need to.

    • Warning shots are never a good idea… and typically illegal (reckless endangerment). Firing a round at anything other than the threat serves as evidence you did not actually fear for your life. Also, you have no idea where that round will end up.

      Shoot to stop the threat.

    • Isn’t New Jersey the mob’s back yard? The mob doesn’t like people resisting their voluntary payments.

    • As a NJ resident let me tell you the simple logic.

      1) We are a ‘Duty to retreat’ state.. meaning you have a legal obligation to run from conflict until you have no other option but to engage.
      2) Lethal Force – Which includes producing, aiming, or God forbid discharging a firearm is only ONLY permissable in the imminent defense of the life of the shooter or a 3rd person.

      NJ totally sucks, and I’m looking forward to moving into America in my retirement. And hopeful the SCOTUS November docket delivers a “Shall Issue” result.

      • Yeah Joel, while California isn’t quite that bad (not a duty to retreat state… though tell the truth, I’m surprised they haven’t tried to get that there) it still is pretty bad, including a background check every time you purchase ammo. When I finally escaped to a conservative state, it was like a breath of fresh air. The day I got my license for my new home state, I felt like I was taking my first breath of freedom… crazy that you can feel that way going from one state to another in the United States.

      • JoeInOcean is right. I’m also looking forward to moving to America when I retire.
        I know someone in a somewhat similar situation to the article, except this person was away from his house when he was assaulted (but still in New Jersey, unfortunately). Neither person had a weapon, but as usually happens in New Jersey, police arrested the VICTIM instead of the criminal. The victim’s lawyer told him the reason he was arrested was because “New Jersey does not recognize any legal right of self-defense outside the home.”

  12. That’s New England for you. Investigating and policing is too hard to do, so the law will just look for ways to charge you after you call them for help.

    You can provide them with pictures, videos, descriptions, license plate numbers… Everything short of getting the perp’s freaking ID for them, and they’ll still do nothing. I know from experience.

    I don’t call them anymore.

      • What did they name New Jersey after? Jersey. Jersey is an island and self-governing British Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the largest of the Channel Islands with an area of around 46 square miles.
        So New Jersey is named after a place in England. So New Jersey isn’t New England. Got it.

        • The Dutch were the primary settlers of NJ and NY, that is why they are not part of New England.

          NJ was originally called New Netherland. Then the Swedes came and called it New Sweden. Finally, the English took over and named it after the island, as you pointed out. But this was about 50 years after the Dutch were already there.

  13. This guy should move to Yamhill County Oregon. Judge Ladd Wiles and a jury of MacMiniville morons gave a marijuana bootlegger a free pass for shooting at his landlords’ children in retaliation for efforts to evict them for installing a massive marijuana grow that was unlicensed and therefore illegal under Oregon law as well as Federal law. Judge Wiles and the jury were to stupid to understand that a 12 gauge shotgun is a deadly weapon. Judge Wiles was also to stupid to understand that his own famously philandering, drug addicted wife, Amanda S Marshall was invoking civil forfeiture of properties utilized for marijuana grows when she wasn’t to busy performing fellacio on her subordinates at the US Attorney’s office.

  14. Complain all you want. It’s free. There is no charge. But you have to follow the laws in your state, period. I’d like to shoot rioters and drug dealers and drug addicts. Dead on sight. When they rob, rape, steal, break into or vandalize private property. Or when they become a general nuisance.

    But sadly I can’t do all of that right now. I can do some of it though!!!

    • would have been cheaper..[and less embarrassing]… just having a security guard sitting on the porch….looks like he could afford it…

    • You are the reason anti-gunners grow in numbers daily and lawful citizens must jump through hoops to buy a firearm.
      I will also fill you in on a well-known secret: If you ever should happen to shoot someone in defense of your life a District Attorney will consider whether to charge you or not, He decides after doing an internet search and/or going through your hard drives etc. He will find your comment here stating how you want to and would like to commit murder. You didn’t say “murder” but a jury of your peers will hear the word during your trial and conviction. I promise.

  15. This is why non-lethal tools are important. A couple of paintball rounds to the face and the thief wouldn’t want to be there anymore. Have a real gun as backup in a holster. Doubt if he would have even been charged then.

    • By allowing him to tell them he fired illegal warning shots giving them reason to search the premises. Next time….shut up.

  17. Actually, would have been cheaper to put down the perp & replace the seat & windshield. Place him under the new landscape shrubbery as fertilizer. Instead – As a result of the plea bargain, Wexler has had to sell off all of his guns. . (And the thief ran away).

  18. Is Wexler now a felon? If not, why sell his guns? Once he successfully completes his probation, possession will be legal again. He should have been able to store them, plus ammunition and other firearm related items, with a third party who won’t give him access.

  19. Red flag laws can keep you from firearms without having a felony on your record. I do not know the laws in NJ, but it would not surprise me.

    • “I say always fire two warning shots.
      Center mass.
      WARNING!
      Next ones going in your head”

      That’s similar to what another NJ resident used to always say. Tony Soprano.

      I say always fire two ******* shots.
      Center mass.
      *******
      Next ones going in your head.

      Must be a jersey thing. 🤔

  22. First rule of lawful self-defense: never, ever, ever live in New Jersey or New York. Don’t even go through those shit-hole states.

    • I turned in my NJ membership card around 25 years ago. Sold my home and never looked back.

      The place was a turd slowly circling the drain back then.

  25. DUUUAA SHOT DAAUU DUDE WITH WEAPON , THEN HUMP WITH ???
    BE A DOUBLE WAMMIE DUUUAA … FORGIVE ME OFFICER DUUUAAA
    WOULD HAV A BEEN GOOD ENDING DUUUAAA
    OR
    SHOOT FIRST THEN ASK PRICK BAD GUY WHATS A UP DOC DUUUAAA

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