Crime & Safety

Burglar 'Trashed' Hopatcong Apartment, Cops Say

Teen allegedly tried to sell stolen items after paintball gun, video game system and other items were taken.

An Dover teen was charged with the theft of more than $3,700 worth of items stolen from a River Styx Road apartment on Jan. 9 after police said he tried to sell some of the items with a friend.

Dante Cousins, 18, was taken to the Sussex County jail by Dover police in lieu of $25,000 bail after being arrested on a warrant, according to Hopatcong police Lt. Thomas Kmetz.

Kmetz said police responded to the apartment after the renter reported a burglary. The renter said he left the apartment at 12:30 p.m. and "noticed his apartment trashed" when he returned.

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"Patrols found the front window to the kitchen was open and the shade was disturbed. The kitchen cabinets were open and there was broken glass in the sink, a closet had been gone through the bedroom drawers were pulled out, the bedroom mattress was laying on the floor and bedframe was broken," Kmetz said.

Items that were stolen included a paintball gun, XBox 360 system, Call of Duty video game, a BB gun, Toshiba laptop, Acer laptop, iPod Nano, iPod Touch, Blackberry, Rayban sunglasses, watches, a coin collection, a gold chain and cash.

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Kmetz said the renter of the home knows Cousins and said that he had been at his house recently. Two watches that belong to the renter were found at a friend's house in Dover where Cousins allegedly went to ask for assistance in selling the items, Kmetz said.

Kmetz said police are unsure whether the other items stolen from the apartment have been sold.

For questions on this report, email ariana.cohn-sheehan@patch.com


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