Chatham Teens Damaged Building With Heavy Machinery: Police

CHATHAM, NJ — Four teenagers from Chatham damaged an abandoned house with an excavator while trespassing, Florham Park police said.

The four teenagers are accused of trespassing on a Brooklake Road property in Florham Park the afternoon of Sept. 5. The owner of the home told police he saw the four boys using an excavator on his property, and that they tore wood off the side of an abandoned building, police said.

The four boys rode away on bikes towards Chatham, the man told police. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Police found one teen on Sherbrooke Road, and eventually found the other three boys. The four teens and their parents all responded to the scene and went back to police headquarters, police said.

All four boys were charged as juveniles in Family Court with defiant trespassing and criminal mischief. Police did not release their names.

Image via ZeroOne, Flickr