Father and Son Jailed After Burglary Investigation

Hopatcong police also charge Carlos Spina Jr. with resisting arrest.

A father and son are in the Sussex County jail after police probed a burglary on Santa Fe Trail in Hopatcong. A Santa Fe Trail resident reported a 32-inch flat-screen television missing, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said. According to a witness, 49-year-old Carlos Spina Sr. entered the home on May 10 and left with the television in the front seat of his car, Kmetz said. The witness saw Spina drive the car, with the television inside, around the block to his home on Smokerise Road, Kmetz said. Spina was cooperative when brought to Hopatcong police headquarters, Kmetz said, and granted officers permission to go to his home and retrieve the stolen television from his son's room. However, his son, 20-year-old Carlos Spina Jr., gave officers a "hard time" …

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Man Jailed After Threatening Officers, Cops Say

Pair of 19-year-old men charged with obstruction and underage drinking, according to Hopatcong Police.

A pair of 19-year-old men were arrested after a confrontation with Hopatcong police on May 10, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said. Wharton resident Dallas Crosby and Landing resident Marcus Morris were charged with underage drinking and obstruction of justice after officers arrived to a Monroe Trail home to investigate reports of a large fight, Kmetz said. Hopatcong police found Crosby and Morris facing each other and looking like they were about to fight, the lieutenant said. The officers ordered the teens to the ground, and while Morris initially complied, Crosby did not, Kmetz said. While Crosby was being cuffed, Morris started to curse at the officers loudly enough that residents started coming out of their homes, Kmetz said. Both Morris and Crosby…

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Glad_i_got_out

10:57 am on Tuesday, May 14, 2013

I grew up in Hopatcong and I've been in similar situations as these "fine upstanding teenagers" and guess what the racist cops did to me and my friends. They f&*&ing arrested us and charged us with underage drinking also one of my "friends" even got mouthy with the police and he was charged with obstruction of justice. Now here is the kicker we are WHITE! These so called racist cops were doing …   more ›

Faulty Motor May Have Caused Restaurant Fire, Cops Say

Police are still investigating Ridgewood Restaurant blaze, but say it may have been faulty refrigerator apparatus.

While still under investigation, officials believe a fire that destroyed much of the interior of Ridgewood Restaurant may have been caused by a motor on top of a walk-in cooler, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said. The fire swept through the dining area of the restaurant just after 2 a.m. Saturday, Kmetz said. The owners, who had left the building a short while earlier, returned to find smoke billowing inside the structure, Kmetz said. A tenant in the upstairs apartment was sleeping at the time and was awoken by the owners, Kmetz said. He was able to get out of the building without any injuries. Smoke was pouring from every corner of the building when firefighters arrived, Kmetz said, but the blaze was quelled before the structure was knocked down. The …

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Hopatcong Police Looking For Hit and Run Vehicle

Early 2000s Chrysler Sebring was involved in an accident on April 26.

Hopatcong police are looking for a black or grey early 2000s Chrysler Sebring that hit a truck on Brooklyn Mountain Road at approximately 11 p.m. April 26.  The Sebring lost a section of the internal part of its front bumper after it first struck a boulder then a parked truck, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said. The car would have damage to the right front bumper, undercarriage or wheel well, Kmetz said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hopatcong police at (973)398-5000. 

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Burglar Had Crack Pipes, Needle, Police Say

Hopatcong Police aid nearby town with arrest of 20-year-old on burglary and theft warrant.

Pair Charged With Stripping Train Cars

Hopatcong Police catch alleged thieves with wire and fixtures taken from NJ Transit cars.

A pair of men were arrested by Francis Avenue and Under Avenue in Hopatcong last week and charged with stealing wire and fixtures from NJ Transit cars stored in Netcong, Hopatcong Police said. According to Lt. Thomas Kmetz, 30-year-old Raymond Nieves of Newark and 40-year-old Jeremy Hopping of Mount Arlington were arrested after a resident called in a report last Thursday of “suspicious males” pulling some bags out of the woods and loading them into a minivan before driving off. Kmetz said the same resident called back Saturday with another tip and Officers Christopher Lotito,  Gerald Mancuso and Sgt. Michael O'Shea found the two men with backpacks. The men changed their stories of their whereabouts, saying that the four backpacks next to …

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Drunk Driver Takes Out Guide Rail, Police Say

Stanhope woman sent to hospital after crash with a forehead laceration.

A 44-year-old Stanhope woman was sent to the hospital after crashing her car into a guide rail on March 29, Hopatcong Police said. According to Lt. Tom Kmetz, Tracy Taylor was charged with DWI and reckless driving after running her vehicle head-on into a guide rail on Old Lakeside Boulevard. Kmetz said patrol responded to the crash, located near Pickerel Point Road, and found the airbag had been deployed in the car and Taylor had a laceration on her forehead. Taylor was transported to the hospital by the Hopatcong First Aid Squad and after a blood draw for testing was charged with reckless driving and DWI, Kmetz said.

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Thief Sought for Stolen Bike in Hopatcong

Bicycle was taken from a home on Ruth Street on March 14.

A $460 bicycle was reported stolen last week, and Hopatcong Police are asking residents for any information to find the thief. A 2010 Fit VH1 bicycle was stolen from Ruth Street at about 4:45 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said. The bike has a black frame, purple rims and purple peddles, Kmetz said. The front tire has a green hubcap, Kmetz said. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Hopatcong Police Department at 973-398-5000. For questions about this post, email jason.koestenblatt@patch.com.

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UPDATE: River Styx Road Open Again

Thoroughfare shut down between Elba Avenue and Ithanell Road Friday through Sunday morning.

River Styx Road opened Sunday morning after being shut down for utility repairs, the Hopatcong Police said.  The road had been shut down between Elba Avenue and Ithanell Road and was not expected to reopen until Saturday morning, however the repairs took longer than anticipated. According to Lt. Tom Kmetz, Verizon was digging up the road in order to repair underground wires that were damaged by water.  "They are blowing air through wires that were underground to keep telephone service for over 100 customers affected by the lines that failed," Kmetz said.

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The Watcher

3:01 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013

Hey BeachBum thought I would make your day. Came through River Styx the other day and there was a surveyor by the empty lot and the guy holding the surveying pole was by the Grotto.   more ›

Man Charged in Burglary of Former Boss’ Home

20-year-old man was arrested after break-in, according to Hopatcong Police.

A 20-year-old Staten Trail man was arrested after he burglarized the home of a former employer, Hopatcong police said. According to Lt. Tom Kmetz, a resident saw Lawrence Mastorelli entering a neighbor’s home. After calling the homeowner and verifying no one was supposed to be in the home patrol was notified, Kmetz said. Kmetz said the witness gave the dispatcher the description of the burglar and his vehicle, which was a silver minivan with a lot of stickers on the back. Sgt. Joseph Magrini caught up with the vehicle on River Styx road by the bridge and stopped it, Kmetz said. According to Kmetz, Magrini saw stolen jewelry in Mastorelli’s lap when he approached the vehicle. Mastorelli was arrested and charged with burglary, theft, …

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