Man charged after allegedly breaking into 7 Maynard homes in one night

Maynard police have arrested and charged a man who allegedly pretended to be a delivery driver and broke into seven homes in one night, stealing credit cards and guns, officials said. 

Joseph Encarnacion, 39, of Lynn, was charged with 28 counts, including several counts of breaking and entering during the daytime and identity fraud. 

Maynard police got a call from a resident shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday notifying them that there was a stranger in their apartment, according to a press release. The resident said the man, now identified as Encarnacion, allegedly claimed to be a mobile app-based food delivery driver, and “quickly left the residence.”

Throughout Wednesday and into Thursday morning, seven other people reported break-ins and items stolen from their home. One person said three guns had been stolen, officials said. 

“The Maynard Police Department quickly scoured the surrounding area for available video surveillance footage, found a suspected vehicle and were able to garner an excellent description of the suspect,” police said in the release. 

Encarnacion also allegedly stole several credit cards and used them in nearby towns, including at an Acton gas station, officials said. 

“As a police officer was visiting the gas station to get more video footage from that gas manager, the officer noticed the car with a license plate matching that from the breaking and entering cases and recognized the driver from the description of the suspect,” police said. 

Encarnacion was arrested, and his apartment in Lowell was searched. Police found “most” of the stolen items from the break-ins, in addition to a fourth gun and over $6,000 in cash. 

Some items were not identified from Wednesday night’s break-ins, police said, and additional charges may be brought as the investigation continues.

“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,” Maynard police chief MIchael Noble said in a statement. “From top to bottom, our officers understood not only the danger of multiple stolen firearms likely to end up sold on the streets, but we also had a profound duty to respond to the intrusions on the homes of several of our residents.”

Encarnacion was arranged Friday at Concord District Court and was ordered held without bail, The Boston Globe reported. 

In total, Encarnacion is charged with three counts of breaking and entering during the daytime; three counts of larceny of a firearm; three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm; one count of breaking into a depository; nine counts of receiving stolen property under $1,200; one count of identity fraud; two counts of larceny from a building; and three counts of possession of ammunition without a license. 

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