Two individuals are facing larceny charges after the Reading Police Department reported a brazen theft at a local Home Depot earlier this month. According to an announcement by Chief David Clark, a 31-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, both without known addresses, are accused of wheeling out a cart full of tools and now must answer in court.
On December 12, Home Depot employees gave cops the slip, detailing the vehicle the duo made their escape in. The Reading Police later found this vehicle, abandoned not far from Home Depot, which contained some of the stolen goods in plain view. Subsequently seized, the vehicle became a hub for the police investigation.
Reading Police obtained a search warrant by December 14 and combed through the vehicle, unearthing not just the tools pilfered from Home Depot but a treasure trove of other merchandise, presumably nicked, still tagged and alarmed. They also confiscated numerous baggies of marijuana intended for sale, which led to additional charges against the 31-year-old man, namely receiving stolen property and possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute.
In the vehicle abandoned after stealing from Home Depot, along with the stolen merchandise, police also discovered more goods, some with tags and security devices that prompted further inquiries to determine their origins. The two were pinned as the main suspects post a careful review of Home Depot's surveillance footage and after joining forces with law enforcement across several jurisdictions to track the registered vehicle owner.
The suspects were duly identified and slapped with charges. The Reading Police is now synchronizing efforts across the region with partnered law enforcement agencies to place a finger on whether the additional merchandise in the vehicle was also heisted. Both the 31-year-old man and the 34-year-old woman will be arraigned at the Woburn District Court at a date yet to be announced.
