Berkshire Family Tied to More Than 130 Break-Ins
Some families have a weekly movie night. Others play board games. And one Berkshire County-based family allegedly has a less wholesome habit: breaking into homes and stealing other people’s things.
The Berkshire Eagle reports that an area family has been connected to more than 130 break-ins dating back to 2010, their targets spanning from the Berkshires to Cape Cod.
Nancy Tarjick, 60, and James Tarjick Sr., 61, both of Windsor, and their son James “Jamie’’ Jr., 42, of Becket, were arrested Wednesday following a police raid on several properties throughout the county that turned up hundreds of allegedly stolen items.
Police seized more than 200 items from Jamie’s residence and about 40 items from his parents’ home, The Eagle reported.
All three faced seven counts each of receiving stolen property over $250. In addition, Jamie faced one count of being a common receiver of stolen goods, and his parents each faced one count of receiving stolen property under $250.
They each had not guilty pleas entered on their behalf during an arraignment Thursday morning in Central Berkshire District Court, according to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
Police expect to file additional charges as the investigation goes on, the DA’s Office said.
According to The Eagle’s report, Jamie’s younger brother Aaron was out on bail and wearing a GPS monitoring device when the two broke into “multiple residences’’ between August 2010 and June 2012. Data from that device, as well as from Jamie’s cell phone, led police to the suspects. Specifically, police said they were able to link Jamie to 80 break-ins.
Aaron, who does not face charges at this time (though The Eagle reports that he will soon be indicted in connection with the break-ins), was convicted of several counts relating to the rape of two children under the age of 14 in 2012, and is currently serving up to 25 years in prison, MassLive reported.
Jamie was ordered to be held on $10,000 cash or $100,000 surety bail while his parents were released on their own recognizance. All three will be back in court for a pretrial hearing February 11, according to the DA’s office.
The investigation is being conducted by Pittsfield, Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, Hatfield, and Easthampton police, deputies from the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Department, as well as State Police Detectives assigned to the Berkshire DA’s Office.
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