PEABODY — The vigilance of neighbors combined with heads-up police work led to arrests on consecutive nights of suspects charged with breaking into cars downtown, police Capt. Dennis Bonaiuto said.
The first call to police came shortly after midnight on Friday. Officers responded to a break-in in progress on Aborn Street. They located and arrested Tyler Lagatta, 19, of 5 English St., Apt. 2, Salem, and charged him with two counts of breaking and entering into a motor vehicle in the nighttime and two counts of attempted breaking and entering into a motor vehicle. He had a pocketbook and iPod, among other items, in his possession, Bonaiuto said.
On Saturday at 5:30 p.m., a caller reported a man trying to open parked cars in the area of the New England Meat Market on Walnut Street. Police responded and arrested Daniel E. Ghidella, 40, of 7 Carmel St., Apt. 1, Chelsea. He was charged with breaking and entering into a motor vehicle, attempting to commit a crime, and two counts of drug possession. Ghidella had in his possession a blue briefcase reported stolen from a nearby car. Officers also found him with Budeprion, an antidepressant, and the local anesthetic Lidocaine, Bonaiuto said.
The arrests show why alerting police is crucial if residents see something suspicious, he said.
"We would much rather go out and have it be something that isn't a problem than not be notified and miss an opportunity to apprehend a criminal," Bonaiuto said.
