Teens found sleeping in former NFL player's vacant mansion


Three teenagers were found inside a vacant Clover mansion off Lake Wylie, in Clover, that's owned by former Carolina Panthers player Jeff Otah.

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Otah hasn't been with the team since 2012 and neighbors said, for the most part, no one has stayed in the luxury home, valued at $650,000, since then -- until last Sunday.

That's when neighbor Dave Pollizi and his wife said they saw cars parked in the backyard and called 911.

"We were watching the police go in the house and he was in there for probably 20 minutes, so I walked over there to see if the cop was OK. He appeared to be OK and he said he's got two or three kids in the house. One darted; my wife saw one run," Pollizi told WSOC-TV.

York County sheriff deputies said they found one 15-year-old and two 16-year-olds in the house. Two were sleeping.

"They claim the doors were unlocked," said Trent Faris with the York County Sheriff’s Office.

The teenagers are charged with trespassing and minor in possession of alcohol.

WSOC-TV's Liz Foster walked around the entire house and didn't notice any windows or doors broken but did see several beer cans on the back porch.

A news helicopter flew over the property and its crew also saw the beer cans on the back porch. Investigators said the next step is finding out how the teens got the alcohol.

Foster asked Faris, if it is determined a parent or someone over 21 bought the alcohol, might that person be charged.

“It could be. We're looking into that. We don't know where they got the alcohol. They did have beer, several cases of beer, in the home," Faris said.

Neighbors on the quiet street have a warning for anyone else who wants to try it.

"Definitely the neighborhood is alerted and everybody's watching now," Pollizi said.

Pollizi said deputies told him police in Delaware went to Otah's current home and told him about the break-in.