Crime & Safety

Heat is On: Cops Say Pair Stole Boiler Right Out of House

Also, duo accused of stealing instruments from a church hits a sour note.

There's something to be said for commitment.

Although, in this case, we're talking about the term in the sense used to describe what happens to someone when he or she is locked away. As in .

Police say two men they've caught and another they haven't yet stole a heating boiler from a multi-family house. But this wasn't some new-in-the-box boiler waiting for installation in the backyard, or a piece of  junk awaiting the right time for proper disposal. This thing was hooked up, and in the house.

Find out what's happening in New Milfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police say the trio went as far as to punch holes in a wall and ceiling, to get access to the plumbing, so that they could take the boiler. They allegedly loaded it up onto a pickup truck and took off.

But cops say an eyewitness saw a lot of it. Maybe it wasn't such a hot idea after all.

Find out what's happening in New Milfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Each Monday, Patch takes a peek at some of the more surprising, shocking, stunning and occasionally silly police-related incidents reported throughout New Jersey for "OMGs from NJ PDs." Some of the other reports:

Don't Expect a Choir of Angels: If the allegations against them are true, two Newark men . Springfield police say they stole more than $10,000 worth of musical equipment from a church. Robbing from God's house is just about never a good idea; the resident's a fairly influential guy. But if you're going to steal from a house of worship, you might want to check if there are any receipts in the vestibule. Police say the alleged thieves were caught when they tried to sell the equipment to a Guitar Center, and staffers there checked the goods for serial numbers—which were still in Guitar Center's computer from when the chain sold the church the stuff in the first place. The staffers contacted the church, learned about the alleged theft, and stalled the  Newark men until police arrived. 

What Did He Have to Lose? We never think it's a good idea to pick a fight with cops, but that's what East Windsor police say o. Specifically, they say he refused to leave and "approached the officers in a fighting posture." Maybe he figured there wasn't much police could do to him. After all, it was May 21.

An Underhanded Way To Get Underwear: Lawrenceville police are investigating the theft of nearly  (that's about 40 panties, by the way) from the Victoria’s Secret store at Quaker Bridge Mall. What's more,  too. OMG PSA of the Week: Stealing isn't sexy.

Perp Pick of the Week: Maybe this'll be a new feature for us here on OMG. Maybe not. We light to keep things fast and loose here. But click through and, who, East Windsor police allege, committed burglaries along with his brother. We can't endorse the crimes Ryan and brother Jason are accused of committing, but we'll give him points for stand-out style. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.