NEWTON — A Sussex County man was arrested after falling off an ice-covered scaffold while trying to flee from a burglary he allegedly committed at a boarding house in Newton, police said today.
Tyler Lister, 27, kicked in an apartment door at the Spring Street boarding house and stole various prescription drugs from the tenant, police said.
But when a night manager locked Lister into the fourth-floor apartment to prevent him from fleeing, the suspect climbed out of a window. He then fell onto the roof before attempting to climb down a scaffold, which was set up in front of the building due to ongoing construction, police said.
When police arrived, they saw Lister crossing the street near the scene of the incident, but did not realize he was responsible for the burglary. Shortly afterwards, police learned Lister had broken into the apartment and he was arrested at his parents’ home on Emmons Avenue in Newton, police said.
At the time of his arrest, Lister was in an “incoherent state” after ingesting some of the prescription drugs he had stolen, police said.
Lister was charged with burglary, theft of movable property and criminal mischief.
Newton police Lt. Robert Osborn said Lister was apparently not injured in the fall. Osborn said it was not known exactly how far Lister fell and declined to say what prescription drugs were stolen because the medications were “specific to the victim.”
Patrolmen Scott King, Jose Morales and Special Officer Raul Couce investigated. The incident occurred at 6:14 p.m. last Monday.