By Julie Manganis
SALEM — The Harbor Street couple thought the excitement was over as they relaxed on their back porch early Sunday morning following a party.
That was until one of them went back inside to get something and found two men standing in the second-floor condo, according to police.
When the woman called to her boyfriend, the two men — who police say were burglars, not guests — ran off, toting a case of beer and a digital camera, police said. The couple gave chase, down Harbor Street and onto Lafayette Street. That's where they gave up, after full beer cans came flying toward them, hitting the man on the side of his head and narrowly missing the woman.
Now, two Salem men, John Kennedy, 21, of 300 Washington St., Salem, and Jose Morales Jr., 37, of 71 Palmer St., are facing burglary, larceny and assault charges stemming from the 4 a.m. incident at 41 1รขÑ2 Harbor St.
Both men pleaded not guilty during their arraignment yesterday in Salem District Court.
Their lawyers say there is more to the story than the couple have offered, suggesting that their clients had been guests at the party.
Prosecutor Clint Muche said, however, that the couple told police they did not know the men, both of whom have criminal records.
As it turns out, Kennedy and Morales had been buzzed into the building by the couple's first-floor neighbor, who assumed they were guests showing up for the party. The first-floor resident told police he had asked the men if they knew the man who lived on the second floor.
One of the men said that he did.
It appears that the couple had left the door to their condo unit unlocked, the prosecutor said.
Police found the pair at Kennedy's apartment, where they also found the same case of Bud Light, with a few empties scattered around it, and a digital camera of the same type that was reported stolen, the prosecutor said.
The couple and their neighbor also identified the pair as the men they had seen. Judge Richard Mori set bail at $5,000 cash for Morales and $2,000 for Kennedy, commenting, "Friends of neither the bride nor the groom. There was a movie about that, crashing wedding parties." Mori also ordered Kennedy held pending a hearing into whether he's in violation of his probation on drug possession charges.
A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Nov. 21.
