Stolen Copper Piping Causes Oil Spill, Police Say

$25K reward offered for information that leads to arrest in residential burglary.

A copper pipe was cut and stolen during a residential burglary on Maxim Drive that caused oil to leak into Bear Pond last week. A vacant home was broken into across the street from the pond on Dec. 4, and a copper pipe was cut, causing oil to leak into the basement and then into the pond, according to a report supplied by Lt. Thomas Kmetz. Kmetz said it is still unknown how much oil was in the oil tank. When the oil was found at the top of the pond, the Hopatcong Fire Department put out containment booms and absorbent pads to prevent the oil from flowing further. Kmetz said Hudson Farm called a special hazmat environmental agency to clean up the oil in the house and in Bear Pond. Hudson Farm is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone with …

•  13 Comments
• Photos (1)

Hopatcong Man Allegedly Stole $5K in Items From Mendham Home

Alleged burglar spoke with neighbor just before break-in, authorities say.

A Hopatcong man has been accused of stealing $5,000 worth of items from a Mendham Township home earlier this month, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday. Anthony Troyano, 39, was arrested Nov. 16 for allegedly burglarizing a Roxiticus Road home four days earlier, Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said. Police responded to the home just after 3 p.m. on Nov. 12 and found a rear back kitchen window shattered, and several bedrooms ransacked, Bianchi said. An investigation by Mendham Township Police revealed a male had knocked on a door of a neighboring Roxiticus Road home earlier that day and inquired if it was for sale, Bianchi said. The homeowner gave the male a brochure for the home, which was for sale, Bianchi said. The male then …

• Photos (1)

Residential Burglaries Continue in Sparta

Cheyenne Trail home's front door kicked in, jewelry stolen in latest of 18 break-ins this year.

Sparta Police said a Cheyenne Trail home was broken into on Tuesday night, less than two weeks after another burglary occurred on Glen Road. According to police, the Cheyenne Trail burglary occurred sometime between 6 and 10 p.m. when the homeowner was out. Jewelry was stolen and several rooms were ransacked, police said. Entry was gained into the home by kicking in the locked front door, police said. Police said the amount of jewelry stolen is unknown, and the homeowner is still inventorying her valuables. Det. Sgt. John Schanstra and Det. Terrence Mulligan are currently investigating the incident, police said. Less than two weeks ago, another home was broken into on Sept. 21 on Glen Road where both jewelry and electronics were stolen …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Gun, Ammo Stolen From Correction Officer's Home

Police say garage door opener, insurance card taken from his car while on assignment in Newark.

A handgun and hallow-point bullets were stolen from a correction officer's Hopatcong home Sunday afternoon after his garage door opener had been stolen from his car while it was parked on assignment in Newark the night before, according to police.  The garage door opener was reportedly stolen from the correction officer's car Saturday night while it was parked at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey while he was on assignment.  On Sunday at about 3:40 p.m., the man's wife came home after she had left for about an hour-and-a-half and found the garage door open and the house ransacked, police said. The gun, a .40-caliber Sig Sauer P229 that was in a locked case with three 12-round magazines of ammunition, was stolen, as …

•  10 Comments
• Photos (1)

Teen Accused of Smashing Window, Stealing Cash, Cigarettes

Hopatcong police said the 16-year-old admitted to the crime.

A 16-year-old Hopatcong resident allegedly smashed through a local deli's window, stealing cartons of cigarettes, rolling papers and cash.  Hopatcong police said the burglary happened at the 3&1 Deli on Monday at 4:37 a.m. The juvenile reportedly was charged after he came in with his parents on Thursday and admitted to the crime. A second juvenile, a 15-year-old, was charged with possession of stolen property in connection to the incident, police said. Police said they responded to an alarm at the deli, finding the front window had been smashed and that cartons of cigarettes, individual packs, a box of rolling papers, several rolls of coins, and cash wrapped in an elastic band were on the ground. After a check of the building, a search by …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Police Investigating Burglary From Unlocked Cars

Authorities said reported incidents took place Wednesday on Geneva Trail

Hopatcong police said they are investigating the report of burglaries from multiple unlocked cars on Geneva Trail on Wednesday. A resident told police he heard his dog barking at about 4 a.m. on Wednesday when he then saw his motion detector light was on. According to police, the resident told them when he looked outside he saw two females by his neighbors cars. He said one was in the car while the other was next to it, police said. According to police, the two ran up the road while the neighbor called police. Police said that several unlocked cars were entered. They said the items taken were a fish-shaped green and purple leather wallet; a purple leather pouch with an Italian symbol on it; and a Garmin nuvi 650 GPS. Police said one female…

• Photos (1)

Landscaper Stole Jewelry, Pawned It, Cops Say

Authorities said June burglary was committed by man who is now in jail on probation violation.

Police Looking Into Burglary From Vehicles

Authorities said reported incidents took place on Geneva Trail.

Cops: Help Us Find 2 Burglars

Two men were seen running from a ransacked Hopatcong home Thursday morning, police said.

Police are looking for two men they say robbed a Hopatcong home Thursday morning. Officers responded to a report of a two men running from the back of a ransacked Rapalyea Road house at 11:50 a.m. Thursday, police said. Officer William Sutphen found a computer tower and several Xbox video games on the side of the road, police said. Inside the home were open jewelry boxes and dresser drawers, police said. Items appeared strewn about on the floor and a pillowcase filled with items from the home was found inside the house, police said. Pry marks were found outside the first-floor window, police said. One of the suspects, police said, is a 5-foot-8, 165-pound white or hispanic male with black hair and a mustache wearing jeans and a dark grey …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)