Stoneham cops bust suspected tri-town burglar
Published on July 26th, 2000
With one arrest Stoneham Police may have solved nine burglaries in three towns.
Officers James McIntyre and Chris Copan arrested Michael D. Lava, 31, of 144 Derby St. in Melrose, in the parking lot of J.J. Grimsby's Restaurant on Tuesday, July 18, at 12:40 p.m.
Chief Eugene Passaro said the suspect, who is "known to police," cooperated with the police investigation.
"He was pointing out places where he broke in," Passaro said.
Lava is at Cambridge Jail awaiting trial, thanks in part to a tip from a Philips Road resident. The resident called Stoneham police to report a suspicious man in her neighbor's yard and a suspicious white car. The caller gave police a description of the man and car, which was later identified as a 1994 Mercury Cougar.
The police dispatcher alerted officers in the field that a house break had occurred and gave officers the descriptions of the "suspicious" man and car seen in the area.
McIntyre and Copan were on a radar detail in the Fellsway neighborhood. They drove around in search of the suspect and found a white Cougar parked at J.J. Grimsby's at 301 West Wyoming Ave. The car matched the description from dispatch, and so did the suspect, who was sitting in the driver's seat.
According to police, jewelry was visible in the car, but the suspect's hands were not. Dispatch had previously reported that the suspicious man in the Cougar might be armed, so McIntyre and Copan drew their guns and approached.
The officers demanded to see Lava's hands. He did not obey. The cops demanded again, and this time Lava raised his hands into view. He was still holding jewelry, McInTyre said.
"He had loads of jewelry in the car," Passaro said.
Lava was charged with breaking and entering during the daytime, receiving stolen property over $250 and possession of heroin.
"We know of four breaks at least in Stoneham and four in Melrose that we think he did," Passaro said.
Police said Lava may have burglarized a home in Malden as well. The investigation is ongoing.
Some officers guessed that the burglaries were paying for Lava's heroin addiction.
Stoneham Police are trying to figure out what belongs to whom from Lava's cache, which includes gold earrings, bracelets, necklaces, a wedding ring, an engagement ring, a high school ring, cash and a small safe.
Passaro commended the work of Officer McIntyre and Officer Copan, who is still officially a trainee after joining the force in June. The Chief also thanked the tipster.
Safety Officer Larry Rotondi credited the arrest to having extra men on the street.
"We have been saying for years we need more than two men on the street," Rotondi said. "When we do (the radar detail), we make arrests like this."
At 3:59 p.m. on July 18, a Fellsway East caller reported the theft of her engagement ring and wedding band, but the Stoneham Police had good news.
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