Once again, the sound of shattering glass and alarms pierced the quiet in Market Square. According to a recent social media post by the Manchester NH Police, officers were dispatched to Market Square Jewelers last Friday, following a break-in alarm at approximately 9:30 PM.
Police arrived to discover the aftermath of a burglary. The storefront door lay in ruins, its glass shattered, reaching hands into the stillness of the night. Inside, a number of display cases had met a similar fate. Surveillance footage captured the scene: a man, cane in hand not as an aide, but as a tool of thievery, shattered the glass to let himself in and later to gain access to the jewels lying within. The suspect, 62-year-old Edward Meiggs of Manchester, didn’t linger, snatching what he could before disappearing back into the night.
In a turn of déjà vu, this was not Meiggs’ first encounter with the store or law enforcement. He had been arrested just a month prior for theft at the same location. The recurrent nature of the crime prompted a swift response from authorities. The very next day after the incident, according to the same Manchester NH Police post, officers located and arrested Meiggs once again.
Meiggs now faces a series of charges, including Burglary, Felony Theft by Unauthorized Taking, and Criminal Mischief. He has gone from suspect to defendant, the future of his freedom resting within the scales of justice. Given the severity of the charges and, the history of prior offenses, the case has garnered attention from the local community and shopkeepers, pressing for a resolution that reinforces safety and order in the market square.
