Crime

Malden police nab couple believed to be behind string of armed robberies

"The swift action of the investigators involved in today's arrest prevented a violent crime, no one was seriously injured, and the community may rest a bit easier tonight."

October 28, 2022

1 minute to read

Police arrested a man and a woman this week who officials believe were behind a string of armed robberies that happened over the course of several months around Malden.

Malden police Det. Bobby DiSalvatore led a task force made up of state police, FBI, and Malden police, which led to the arrests of George Johnson and Marie McCallum, who are both in their 40s, according to a department release.

Officials arrested Johnson on Wednesday before he walked into a neighborhood convenience store on Highland Avenue. Police say they believe they prevented an armed robbery from taking place.

Nearby, police positively identified McCallum and took her into custody, as well.

“The swift action of the investigators involved in today’s arrest prevented a violent crime, no one was seriously injured, and the community may rest a bit easier tonight,” Malden police said in a statement Wednesday.

Johnson and McCallum were arraigned on robbery-related charges Thursday morning in Malden District Court.

Both suspects pleaded not guilty to attempting to commit a crime (armed robbery), The Boston Globe reported. Johnson also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of carrying a dangerous weapon, according to the newspaper.

Johnson and McCallum are due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Nov. 22, the Globe confirmed with the court clerk’s office.

Heather Alterisio

Senior Content Producer

Heather Alterisio, a senior content producer, joined Boston.com in 2022 after working for more than five years as a general assignment reporter at newspapers in Massachusetts.