2 Men, Teen Charged With Tearing Hole in Roof of Elderly NJ Homeowner
By David Madden
LUMBERTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Theft and related charges have been lodged against two men and a teenage boy who allegedly ripped off an elderly, disabled veteran.
Police in Lumberton (Burlington County), NJ have filed charges against 45-year-old Paul Frank of Northeast Philadelphia, 29-year-old Larry Mitchell of Vineland, NJ, and a 17-year-old from Philadelphia.
Authorities say the trio went to the Holly Brook home of a man confined to a wheelchair and told him his roof was leaking. Unable to confirm that himself, he agreed to pay them $5,500 to do the work.
But what they allegedly did was rip a 10-foot-square hole in his roof using a tire iron and damage a pair of electric power junction boxes in his attic. Shingles were also removed from another section of the roof, which was then painted over. Total estimated damage to the home: $3,000.
Bail for the two adult suspects was set at $20,000 each. Police and township officials were attempting to make arrangements to have the damage repaired free of charge to the homeowner.
