MELROSE, MASS. (WHDH) - A wanted Lowell man who allegedly tried to break into several cars in Melrose was arrested early Tuesday morning after officers tracked his footprints in the snow, officials said.
Steven Goodrich, 29, who was wanted on multiple warrants for his arrest in Chelsea and Lowell, is now facing additional charges including disorderly conduct, attempt to commit a crime, furnishing a false name, and possession of a false RMV document, according to the Melrose Police Department.
Officers responding to a report of a man walking down driveways and looking into the windows of parked cars near the intersection of Emerson Street and Orient Avenue around 3:45 a.m. saw fresh footprints in the snow on the sidewalks and driveways alongside the vehicles parked there, police said.
An officer searching the area reportedly spotted a vehicle parked with its lights on in a driveway of a home on Orient Place, as well as a man standing nearby who matched Goodrich’s description.
Goodrich allegedly fled through the backyard of 16 Orient Place before scaling a fence in an attempt to evade capture.
Officers then tracked fresh footprints in the snow along Stratford Road onto Porter Street and Harding Road, where they found Goodrich hiding under a playset in the yard of a home.
Goodrich was unable to provide officers with a sensible reason as to why he was in the neighborhood, according to police. He was also said to be in possession of an identification that did not belong to him.
A subsequent investigation found that Goodrich was allegedly responsible for breaking into two cars on Orient Place and a parked car in Wakefield.
Police also allege Goodrich provided a fake name during the booking process.
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