Maynard's streets just got a little safer after the local police nabbed a faux delivery man turned alleged thief. The Maynard Police Department, led by fearless Chief Michael A. Noble, cracked a series of brazen daytime home invasions and wrangled back an arsenal of stolen guns from the unassuming suspect. Joseph A. Encarnacion Jr., 39, of Lynn, was slapped with a laundry list of charges including breaking and entering, larceny of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firework, and several other accusations related to fraudulent credit card antics, according to the department's official website.
The scheme unraveled on March 27 when a Maynard resident, came home to an unexpected face who bumbled an excuse as a delivery driver and scrammed — this sparked an intense police probe, which snowballed into reports of multiple burglaries where the suspect conveniently left behind enough breadcrumbs, including video footage and a trail of credit card fraud that led detectives straight to him. It wasn't long before our local blues were canvassing the area, they were hot on Encarnacion's tail, and when an eagle-eyed officer spotted him at an Acton gas station just a few days ago, it was game over for the accused. The evidence was mounting; apartment searches ensued, revealing most of the bounty from Encarnacion's alleged heists, and in a twist, a fourth gun surfaced, one that is still a mystery to the investigators today.
Chief Noble was quick to trumpet the success of his team, noting that the swift arrest sends a clear-cut message to would-be criminals. "Our Maynard Police Department officers and detectives did an excellent job and worked diligently to bring a quick arrest of the suspect and recovery of stolen firearms and other property,” Chief Noble proclaimed, underscoring the gravity of multiple stolen firearms making their way into darker corners of the streets as well as the importance of the mission to protect his citizens from such violations.
As for Encarnacion, the man behind the slew of allegations is looking at a date in Concord District Court, while the suspect considers his fate from behind the bars, the detectives are still piecing together the jigsaw of crimes left in his wake, diligently working to ensure justice is duly served.
These are just charges for now; Encarnacion keeps his 'innocent until proven guilty' card until the courts say otherwise. Stay tuned to see how the case against Maynard's disguise-donning burglar unfolds.
