NY pair accused of looting foreclosed Monmouth house

Two employees of a company assigned to maintain a house in foreclosure in Monmouth's Ocean Township are accused of helping themselves to copper pipe that was inside it.

Nicholas Sanchez, 24, and Anthony Moretto, 36, of Staten Island, were charged Monday afternoon on several theft- and drug-related charges after being apprehended at a Deal Road convenience store, police said.

Investigators had been called to the empty house at about 12:50 PM to check a pickup truck that was described as suspicious, police said.

They found the 2002 white Dodge truck parked in the convenience store lot, with Sanchez and Moretto and drug paraphernalia inside and the copper in the payload space, police said.

Sanchez is charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of syringes.

Moretto is charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, and possession of a prescription legend drug -Suboxone.

Both were released to await court hearings.

Tips about suspcious or illegal activity can be given anonymously to Ocean Township police at 732-531-3323, or via e-mail at crimetips@oceantwp.org.