TOMS RIVER -- A 42-year-old man drank cough syrup and stole a bottle of vodka and a laptop after breaking into a house, authorities said.

Kevin Laird broke a basement window and entered a house on Greenwich Court on around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, Toms River police said in a news release. 

When the residents returned later that day, they discovered the missing items as well as a trail of blood.

Laird had cuts on his face when they tracked him down at his nearby Kalebet home the next day, police said. When asked about his face, Laird claimed he got cut after being attacked by a pipe-wielding man, police said. 

He was arrested when police saw the bottle of booze and the computer, police said. Laird is charged with burglary and criminal mischief.

Police noted the cough medicine contained hydrocodone, a powerful opioid painkiller.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.