Cops: Man Stole Car, Tried to Take Us for a Ride (Figuratively)

A man admitted walking a few streets from a bar, stealing a Jefferson resident's car and driving it to Hopatcong, police said. But they said he didn't come clean right away.

Chris Schagelin of Roxbury was charged with theft, burglary and criminal trespass. Schagelin eventually told Jefferson officers he tried walking to a friend's house in Hopatcong from in Jefferson after his friend left him there, police from that department said. And Schagelin said when his phone died and it started raining, he opened the nearest car, and, since the keys were inside, he drove it back to the friend's house, police said.

But that's not what Schagelin said initially, according to Hopatcong police who spoke to him first.

Police said they responded to a call of an activated security alarm on May 15. When they arrived, the house's front door had been kicked in, with mud on the door and the deadbolt still a locked position, police said. Police said they then found a stolen car in the driveway and a bloodied paper towel in the downstairs bathroom. Nobody was inside the house, police said.

Police said they contacted the homeowner's brother, who told them the homeowner had previously kicked in the door. The brother also said the homeowner might be with his friend, Schagelin, police said.

Later that day, police spoke with the homeowner, who said he wasn't worried about the damage and that his brother or another family member might have broken into the house, police said. The homeowner also said he had never seen the stolen car that was in his driveway, and that he spent most of the previous night with Schagelin at Jefferson's Mason Street Pub before leaving him at the bar to go to a female friend's house in Sparta, police said.

Police said Schagelin admitted to breaking into the house. Scagelin said he broke in to get his car keys, fell, cut his lip and left the bloodied paper towel in the bathroom, police said.

Then, Schagelin made his first attempt at explaining the stolen car found in the driveway, police said.

Scagelin said he realized his friend left him at Mason Street Pub and met a man named Kevin outside the bar, police said. Police said Scagelin told them Kevin offered him a ride home, but when they reached Kevin's car, Kevin told Scagelin to drive because he was drunk.

Scagelin said he drove to the house with Kevin, broke in, washed up and then set off the security alarm while trying to set it, police said. Scagelin said Kevin was gone when he returned to the car and thought Kevin might have run away after hearing the alarm, police said. Scagelin also said he didn't know he was driving a stolen car, police said.

Then Hopacong police said they sent a report of the incident to Jefferson police, who told them that they charged Schagelin with theft after he admitted taking the vehicle.

Police said the car's owner reclaimed it.