Woburn Police Charge Couple for Allegedly Burglarizing Home with their Five Children in the Getaway Car

For Immediate Release

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Woburn Police Charge Couple for Allegedly Burglarizing Home with their Five Children in the Getaway Car

Pair from Danvers Arrested

WOBURN — Police Chief Robert J. Ferullo Jr. announces that a Danvers couple is facing a long list of charges after they were caught allegedly burglarizing a local home with their five young children waiting in the getaway car.

Police were called to Mayflower Road in Woburn at approximately 5:30 p.m. Friday for a report of a suspicious male seen walking around a house that he was known not to reside in. Arriving police units found a basement door open and soon found that a man was in the house. When the suspect saw the officers, he ran upstairs and fled the house.

Officers ordered the man to get on the ground, but he struggled and swung his arms at officers and ran away, toward Lexington Street. He then got into a minivan that was waiting for him down the road.

The van drove off at a high rate of speed and led Woburn police through a pursuit into the town of Lexington at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour down municipal streets before the driver pulled to a stop, with police cruisers in front of and behind the van. The driver, identified as a 26-year-old woman from Danvers, and her husband, a 39-year-old man from Danvers were arrested. Lexington Police joined the pursuit as it entered their town and aided in securing the vehicle.

As police officers approached the van, they found that five young children, all under age 7, were inside.

“This is a deeply disturbing case that we allege involves a husband and wife committing felonies, with the wife driving a getaway car packed with their young children,” Chief Ferullo said. “These suspects clearly showed reckless disregard for the well being of their children, especially as the mother sped away from police and nearly crashed into several cars before she was caught. This day could have ended much, much worse, and we are just grateful that these children were not injured.”

As a result of the pursuit and investigation the MALE SUSPECT has been charged with:

• Felony breaking and entering into a building during the daytime
• Felony vandalism
• Felony larceny from a building
• Felony theft
• Five counts of child endangerment with risk of serious bodily injury
• Two counts of resisting arrest
• Two counts of assault and battery on a police officer
• Failure to stop for police

He was being held pending bail late Friday.

The FEMALE SUSPECT, who was also the driver of the minivan, has been charged with:

• Felony breaking and entering into a building during the daytime
• Felony larceny from a building
• Felony theft
• Five counts of child endangerment with risk of serious bodily injury
• Failure to stop for police
• Negligent operation of a motor vehicle
• Failure to stop for police

She was released on bail late Friday.

The suspects are married, and the children were determined to be theirs. The suspects’ names are being withheld at this time because of the sensitivity of the case involving their children. The children were brought to Woburn Police Headquarters. The Department of Children and Families was notified, and the agency later turned the children over to their mother and maternal grandmother.

While officers were chasing the man on foot, he reached in his pants pocket and threw a metallic item on the ground. Police slowed their pursuit briefly, fearing that the suspect might have a weapon. The object was later identified as a remote control, matching up to a high definition television found inside the home. The homeowner later told police that the television had been unplugged and moved from its usual location, indicating that the suspect may have been attempting to steal it, and was perhaps thorough enough to also grab the remote control.

The case remains under investigation by Woburn Police Detectives. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. The suspects will likely be arraigned Tuesday in Woburn District Court.