Suspects Arrested In Wave Of Car Break-ins

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington police arrested two people who are suspected of a wave a car thefts in Wilmington and surrounding towns, Friday.

Jennifer Chavez-Hernandez and Christopher Perez-Valladares, both 24, of Chelsea, were arrested Friday and charged with five counts of receiving stolen property under $1,200 and other counts related to drug possession. They were due to be arraigned Monday at Woburn District Court, Wilmington police said Monday.

Wilmington and neighboring towns like Burlington and Woburn have seen a series of nighttime thefts from unlocked cars over the last month.

Police responded around 4:35 a.m. Friday to a call about a man walking up to the caller's vehicle and then walking away. Police stopped a car in the area and found a number of stolen items, Chief Joseph Desmond said in a release.

"Through the investigation, officers were able to identify a number of victims in the neighborhood adjacent to Broad Street who had items stolen from their car," Desmond said. "Officers were also able to locate items in the vehicle, which were stolen during a car break in spree that occurred on September 18th in the area of Columbia Street in Wilmington, as well as other items stolen from car breaks in other communities."

The department encouraged residents to lock their cars and to bring vehicles inside and thanked the community for assisting with the investigation.

Residents who believe they were a victim can call the criminal bureau at 978-657-8082 to see if the Wilmington Police Department has their property.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.