Local robbery spree results in two arrests
Published on February 3rd, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - Police arrested two individuals who are believed to be responsible for a spree of recent robberies, two of which occurred in Stoneham in recent weeks.
According to police reports, Officer Richard Higginbottom of the Andover Police Department observed a tan sedan travelling on River Road in Andover on Friday afternoon. The officer recognized the getaway vehicle from police reports and also observed an expired inspection sticker on the sedan. A computer check on the vehicle's license plate showed that the vehicle had been stolen from a Wakefield address and Higginbottom followed in pursuit.
The car continued its travel on Interstate 93, ignoring Higginbottom's siren and proceeded into New Hampshire. The driver traveled at speeds of between 60 and 65 miles an hour and eventually pulled over in Windham, New Hampshire. Higginbottom detained the operator, Matthew Langan, 23, of 42 Jefferson Road in Wakefield and the passenger, identified as April Ryan, 20, of 19 Bay Street in Wakefield.
Wakefield and Reading police were called to the Windham Police Department to inspect the vehicle and immediately came across several incriminating items. The detectives discovered a hold-up note which matched the description of the one used in several area robberies and also found the jacket and hood described by eyewitnesses amid the trash and dirty clothes-filled car.
Last Tuesday afternoon, Stoneham police received a report of a hooded man who passed a similar note and held up the Dress Barn in Redstone Shopping Center. The same description of the suspect and events was offered by a West Coast Video employee after that store was held up on January 18.
"In my 10 years on the force, it was the worst shape I've ever seen a car in, said Higginbottom of the stolen vehicle. "It was filled with trash and wet and dirty clothes were everywhere."
Police believe the two suspects were living out of their car and were using the money gained in the robberies in order to feed their expensive heroin addictions.
According to Higginbottom, the pair had stalled their arrest to inject the last of their heroin while being chased on Route 93.
According to Lieutenant Gregory O'Keefe of the Stoneham Police Department, local police have charged Langan with two counts of robbery and have charged Ryan with being an accomplice to the crimes. In both Stoneham incidents, Langan is believed to have been the hooded bandit and Ryan is believed to have driven the getaway vehicle.
Area police have credited the work of Officer Higginbottom in making the arrests.
"Officer Higginbottom did an outstanding job of police work," said Lieutenant Jack MacKay of the Wakefield Police Department. "To take what little information he had, and turn it into an arrest is very impressive."
During questioning by Wakefield police, Ryan admitted his guilt in robbing Anton's Cleaners in Reading last Wednesday morning, but only hinted at making a second robbery. She allegedly explained to police that she waited in the running car on the side of Anton's while her boyfriend robbed the cleaners.
Wakefield police charged Ryan with two counts of armed robbery, possession of stolen property (license plate) and possession of a hypodermic needle. She is alleged to have stolen the needle from Melrose/Wakefield Hospital after creating a diversion by spilling a tray of soda. The needle was discovered during a subsequent full body cavity search.
Langan had initially refused extradition from New Hampshire, but was later detained by Wakefield police after a Governor's warrant was issued for his transportation to Massachusetts. The pair are believed to have been involved in a total of 12 incidents of robbery in the towns of Stoneham, Wakefield, Woburn, Reading, Melrose, Wilmington and Saugus.
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