Tunnel Found In Bristol Twp. Yard, May Have Been Dug To Find Meteor Or Store Trash

There’s uncertainty as to why a tunnel was dug into a Bristol Township backyard, but municipal officials made sure it was filled in Tuesday.

Township authorities and demolition crews were busy in the backyard of the home in the 2500 block of Laurel Drive, which is directly across Bath Road from the township complex and police station. The workers were excavating and destroying the tunnel under the backyard and clearing debris.

Sources with knowledge of the incident said there have been complaints for some time about the home on normally-quiet Laurel Drive. Rumors were relayed to authorities that a man had been digging recently for a “special stone” or even a meteor in the ground of the .16-acre property.

When authorities looked into the claims and complaints about a messy yard, they ultimately discovered the tunnel believed to have been dug by the man residing at the home, a source said.

Neighbors told LevittownNow.com police arrived with township inspectors, who had a warrant, Tuesday morning to secure the property and demolish the tunnel that posed a danger.

Bristol Township Director of Building and Planning Robert McTague was overseeing the operation.

By the time a reporter from this news organization arrived at the home, a shed in the backyard and at least three truckloads of debris had already been removed. Crews were working to fill in a roughly 20 foot section of tunnel, which appeared to have stone walls and even wiring along it.

Three separate neighbors, all of whom declined to have their names published due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said trash appeared to be pulled from the tunnel.

Township officials declined comment Tuesday.

A copy of the warrant served was not yet returned to the district court and available for public review as of evening.

LevittownNow.com is not identifying the resident at this time.

No charges have been filed against the man as of publication.

Neighbors said they have long suspected drugs were involved with the property, which has been home to a revolving band of characters once the homeowner’s family moved out in recent years.

Laurel Drive residents said they heard the tunnel was being used to store trash. However, they had all heard the story there was a meteor or other notable rock the man was looking for underground.

“Whatever sanity was there left with the family,” one neighbor said.

In recent months, the home had become a regular stop for police and sheriff’s deputies.

Neighbors reported people and vehicles coming and going from the home often. There were often lights on and loud noises – ranging from chainsaws to talking – at all hours of the day from the property.

“We noticed he had a Jeep that ran all night,” one resident said.

Another neighbor said they had observed people leaf blowing in the pouring rain and cutting down a tree late at night.

While neighbors said the homeowner was polite, they said their suspicion is he was dealing with addiction issues, mental health issues, or both.

“It is sad,” one neighbor said. “He is nice, but something is wrong.”