Andover police investigate body left in doghouse

The Andover Township Police Department with the assistance of the Delaware State Police arrested Brian Cheda-Hackembruch, 25, of Andover Township and Matthew R. Thomas, 27, of Newton for the crime of disturbing or desecrating human remains.

No foul play surrounding the victim’s death is suspected at this time. An investigation into the movement of the body is ongoing.

At approximately noon on July 3, the Andover police responded to a report of a body left under the deck of a residence on West Lakeview Road. Upon their arrival, officers were met by family members who informed them a body was left in a doghouse underneath the deck area.

The detective and officers found the body in the doghouse and immediately secured the area, which included closing down portions of West Lakeview Road and Hilltop Road so they could process the scene.

Members of the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the New Jersey State Police Crime Scene Unit were called to the scene to assist.

Cheda-Hackembruch and Thomas left the scene before the officers arrived. Shortly afterward, they called 911, reaching the Sussex County 911 Communications Center, and reported the body’s location. A broadcast was sent to area police agencies to locate Cheda-Hackembruch’s vehicle and Thomas, but without success.

On July 5, detectives from the Andover Township Police Department and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office received information on the whereabouts of Cheda-Hackembruch and Thomas. Troopers from the Delaware State Police were notified and coordinated with detectives in locating and apprehending both men without incident. They were taken into custody and lodged at a local correctional facility in Delaware while they await extradition back to New Jersey.

Cheda-Hackembruch and Thomas had removed the body from a residence in Hopatcong following the victim’s death because of a medical emergency. They then placed the victim in the trunk of a vehicle belonging to the victim.

A towing company summoned to remove the vehicle from the property brought it to Andover Township, where the vehicle was offloaded on the street near West Lakeview Road. The body was later removed from the trunk and placed in the doghouse under the deck, where it was later discovered.

Cheda-Hackembruch and Thomas are both currently on probation and have prior criminal records. Additional charges against both are pending following the completion of the investigation.

The Hopatcong Police Department and Newton Police Department assisted the Andover Police.