Man, 15-Year-Old Arrested for Burglary after Trashing Vacant Hopatcong Home

Police arrested an area man and a young accomplice following a call from a neighbor who said they had spotted two men walking from the back of a vacant home.

Hopatcong police responded to the call at approximately 8:04 p.m. Tuesday and found Steven Johnson, 27, and a 15-year-old boy in the area based on a description given by the neighbor and brought them back to the home where officers found that the duo entered through an open sliding-glass door.

Johnson and the boy had sprayed the home with a fire extinguisher before throwing the device into the woods where it was later recovered by police.

The juvenile’s parents took custody of him and both he and Johnson were processed and charged for burglary and criminal mischief.