Residents of Somerville can breathe a little easier tonight as local police, in a collaborative effort with other agencies, arrested a suspect in a string of burglaries targeting neighborhoods and university community members. The Somerville Police Department took to social media to announce the capture of Fabio Armelio, 47, at 6:35 p.m. yesterday. According to the Somerville Police Department report, Armelio was found in the basement of a Cherry St residence after a 911 call was placed by the homeowner.
This arrest marks an advancement in an ongoing investigation involving twelve recent break-ins within the Powderhouse neighborhood since December 20, 2024. Armelio, has been positively identified for his involvement in three of these cases, the remaining are under active investigation. It's not his first brush with the law; allegedly, Armelio has amassed twenty outstanding arrest warrants spread across multiple jurisdictions, including Somerville, Tufts University, Cambridge, MIT, Lawrence, and Boston. The litany of charges he faces ranges from breaking and entering, to larceny, and assault.
The task force's successful apprehension of Armelio is the result of a concerted operation involving the Somerville Police Criminal Investigation Division, Tufts University Police, MIT Police, Boston Police, Cambridge Police, various federal partners, and the support of the State Police. "The Somerville Police are thankful for this collaborative law enforcement effort and for the many residents and community members for their partnership in helping to track and arrest the suspect," cited from the Somerville Police Department’s Facebook post.
Armelio is currently being held in custody and his arraignment is scheduled for next Monday, at Somerville District Court. The multi-agency task force's efforts underscore an integral communal approach in law enforcement, relying not only on interdepartmental cooperation but on vigilant residents, whose role in this apprehension has been highlighted by the authorities.
