Police Charge Second Man With Break Ins

Editor's Note: In the original story, Max Wilkins was listed as a Wilmington resident. Wilkins correct address is 28 Geneva Street, Apt. #1 in Salem.

For the second time in less than one week, Wilmington Police arrested a man accused of breaking into local homes and allegedly pawning stolen items in exchange for drugs.

Just days after , police arrested Salem resident Max Wilkins on Friday afternoon. Wilkins is charged with five counts of breaking and entering, one count of attempted breaking and entering, five counts of malicious damage over $250, and three counts of larceny over $250.

Police said Mondi and Wilkins are good friends and heavy heroin users who traveled to Charlestown to pawn stolen items, mostly electronics, for drugs. During a taped interview following his arrest, Mondi told police that Wilkins “is in bad shape,” referring to his heroin abuse.

“The town of Wilmington and area communities have been suffering a spree of housebreaks over the past few weeks,” said Wilmington Detective Pat Nally in his report. “The police department has identified Max Wilkins and Andrew Mondi as the suspects in 11 of the entries to homes.”

Police said that on Friday afternoon, they received a 911 call from a resident who heard the alarm system sounding from a Park Street home. When the caller looked over to the house, they saw a man run from behind the property and get into a gray pick up truck.

Officer Dan Cadigan soon came across the vehicle and attempted to stop it. But according to police, Wilkins refused to stop and eventually abandoned the vehicle before he was found in a wooded area off of Rattlesnake Road.

“At this time, there is no evidence to point to Mondi and Wilkins working together with the exception of a house break on Aldrich Road in Wilmington that Mondi confessed to breaking into,” said Nally. “It seems the two have been working the same scheme but working separately.”

Police said Wilkins opted not to speak extensively about the home breaks following his arrest, but never denied his involvement. On several occasions Wilkins admitted to being at the homes in question but denied breaking in, according to police.

The homes Wilkins is charged with breaking into are on Ashwood Ave., Fourth Ave., Cleveland Ave., Boutwell Road, and two on Park Street.

During the break in on Fourth Ave., police said the 12-year-old daughter of the homeowner came home find a male party inside. The girl was able to provide a general description of Wilkins, and several other witnesses described the truck he was known to be driving.

Evidence also includes a shoe impression on a kicked in door that matches sneakers worn by Wilkins, jewelry found in Wilkins’ vehicle positively identified as stolen by homeowners, and pry marks on a door matching a screwdriver in Wilkins’ truck, according to police.