Teen Burglars Caught!

New Jersey State Troopers nabbed three men Hazleton Area Police were searching for. They were found across state lines, but it was all thanks to “neighbors protecting neighbors” that helped crack this case. News 13 first told you about the search for at least three men driving a van who went on a “crime spree” in our area. At a news conference at Hazleton City Hall Wednesday afternoon, police tell News 13 the three young teens, two 17-years-old and one just 15, were caught along Interstate 80 in New Jersey after a trooper there stopped to help the teens who were with the disabled van that was stopped on the side of the road. That trooper ended up finding much more than just a broken down van. The vehicle’s window had been smashed, the ignition punched in and the van had several bullet holes. Inside the vehicle… jewelry, ammunition and other stolen items. The Trooper was suspicious and ran the license plate learning quickly that the vehicle had been stolen from Patterson, New Jersey…from none other than a Church Pastor. The Teen’s journey to jail started Monday morning in broad day light when the Hispanic boys attempted to break in to a Hazle Township home in the Northgate section. Two boys approached the front of the house, the other went to the rear. Before the boys were able to gain entry, a telephone ring scared them away. That phone call coming from a nearby concerned neighbor who saw the incident going down and wanted to alert her the person who lived in the home. The boys drove off in the van, but not before neighbors were able to get a good look at both the suspects and their stolen vehicle. The trio wasn’t done yet. They then made their way to the City of Hazleton, specifically the 900 block of Meade Court. This time they made it inside the home after cutting through a screen. Once inside, the trio was confronted by the 69-year-old resident who lived there. Again the boys were scared off, running to the van. Police say it was thanks to neighbors being good neighbors that the trio was eventually caught. One neighbor was even able to take down the license plate. The three boys are right now being held in Jersey to await extradition back to PA to face charges.Police still do not know what led the Jersey boys to the Hazleton Area. We also do not know yet if all the stolen items in the van were taken from our area or if the trio’s crime spree spans other communities.