Two New Jersey Ex-Cons Arrested For Hiding Man's Body In A Doghouse

Two New Jersey men have ended up behind bars for allegedly hiding the body of a man inside the doghouse of another family.

Brian Cheda-Hackembruch, 25, and Matthew Thomas, 27, were arrested Monday from Delaware. The duo had fled New Jersey to Delaware after committing the vicious crime, reported New Jersey Herald. Both men are awaiting extradition.

The incident came to light after the man's remains were discovered on July 3.

The Andover Township Police Department said the accused, both ex-convicts, face charges of disturbing or desecrating human remains.

According to the police, Cheda-Hackembruch and Thomas were at a residence in Hopatcong when the man, whose identity and age have not been revealed, died of a medical emergency.

Rather than alerting the police or emergency services, the duo decided to place the body in the trunk of the victim's car. They then sought the help of a towing company to move the vehicle to a street near West Lakeview Road in Andover Township, police said.

The accused then removed the body from the trunk and hid it inside the doghouse under the deck of a home on West Lakeview Road. The house owners immediately called the Andover police after they found the man's body Saturday noon.

Cheda-Hackembruch and Thomas then fled the state but called 911 later to inform the authorities about the body's location.

However, police said there was nothing suspicious about the man's death. "There is no foul play suspected at this time surrounding the victim's death and the investigation is ongoing into the details as to the removal of the deceased body," Sussex Daily Voice quoted officers as saying.

Cheda-Hackembruch had been charged in 2019 after a raid at his home unearthed a meth lab facility. Police had recovered 4,400 grams of heroin, methamphetamine and a slew of other drugs and paraphernalia during the search. Though court documents say he took a plea deal last year in the case, no additional information was available, including the date listed for sentencing.

Cheda-Hackembruch had enrolled in an online New York University (NYU) graduate program for engineering but dropped out. He had also worked as an unpaid intern at a research lab in New York City. Thomas, who has prior criminal records, is currently on probation.