Young Girls Weren't Scammers, Hopatcong Police Call It 'Fishy Either Way'

HOPATCONG, NJ — Hopatcong Capt. Tom Kmetz says the two girls who entered a Hopatcong home last week didn't lie about it being their old home but called the situation "fishy either way."

Last week, a Hopatcong homeowner told police two young girls came to her home, saying one of them used to live there and asking to look inside. According to her report, the homeowner said no, but the girls walked inside while the homeowner was distracted. They eventually left and the homeowner didn't think much of it, she said, until she saw a toothless man looking at her backyard shed, Hopatcong police said at the time.

• Read More: Young Girls Used In Potential Robbery Scam

The man in the backyard spooked the homeowner, and she reported the incident to the police. Now, it seems there's more to the story than what it looked like.

"It appears that the kids did live there," Kmetz told Patch. "And that their father, the man with no teeth, was in the yard 'looking at improvements.'"

Two women who said they were related to the girls told Hopatcong Lake Regional News the girls were given permission to enter the home, and that the girl's father was complementing the homeowner on improvements made to the yard.

Kmetz said the children will not be called in for an interview, but "those children should not be in someone’s home." He called the situation "fishy either way."

In the original press release, Kmetz drew parallels between this incident and a popular scam tactic.

"Someone will distract you while another person is stealing your stuff. Usually it is someone trying to get you outside of you home by showing you what is wrong with your chimney or home. Then the other party goes inside and steals your valuables," Kmetz wrote.

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