Police Probe Back-to-Back Burglary Attempts

Police are on the lookout after two residents reported attempted burglaries to their homes and vehicles on two consecutive days last week, Hopatcong Police reported.

On June 11, a homeowner on Lakeside Avenue returned home after being out of the house for a few hours, only to notice the rear sliding door was damage, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said.

The lock on the door was busted, and there were pry marks on the side of the door, Kmetz said. A pipe was lodged between the sliding door and the door jam, which stopped the person from gaining entry, Kmetz said.

The door in question is on the second level of the home, and the incident occurred after 4:30 p.m., Kmetz said.

On June 12, a resident of Sutton Trail called police to report a person was “fumbling” with the side doorknob to the garage and banging on the door, Kmetz said. When the homeowner looked out the window they saw someone with a red key chain light trying to gain entry into the homeowner’s vehicle, Kmetz said.

Police arrived on the scene and searched the area, with the Sussex County K-9 unit, but did not find anyone.

Both the house and vehicle were locked, Kmetz said, which kept the supposed intruder from gaining entry.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 973-398-5000.

For questions about this post, please email jason.koestenblatt@patch.com.