Alleged Home Invaders Go Too Far At Free Lawn Sale In Arlington

Most passersby would’ve been satisfied with stuffing their van with furniture from a free yard sale.

But Arlington Police say a man felt the need to riffle through an empty home for more goodies on Monday, April 27. Marianne Krain, an Arlington woman who was with him at the time, has been charged with breaking and entering.

“”The gentleman who was with me did this, yes,” Krain told Patch in a Facebook message. “I got some free furniture, but that’s all I did. It was unknown to me that he was breaking into the house.”

According to the police report, at 2:31 p.m., they responded to a supposed breaking and entering on Wachusett Avenue. Various household items were strewn around the front lawn. The homeowner explained that he was emptying the house and putting it on the market - hence the items on the lawn were free for anyone to take.

However, his neighbors had seen a man break into the house via prying open the porch screen and window about two hours earlier, then exiting via the front door. Police say due to the ongoing clean up process, the homeowner could not tell if anything had been stolen.

One neighbor said she saw the whole ordeal. In addition, she told police the male suspect arrived in a 1999 Chrysler Town van, was accompanied by a woman, and that the pair helped themselves to the free furniture on the lawn before, and after, the break in.

Another witness, who was doing lawn work at the time, had memorized the van’s license plate number, say police. He had also asked the male suspect why he entered the house, which the suspect denied doing.

Police went to the Forest Street residence whereabouts the van was registered, and were greeted by 52-year-old Marianne Krain.

She admitted to picking up furniture with her friend from the Wachusett Avenue lawn earlier that day, but denied any involvement with a burglary attempt.

She said she had just dropped off her friend at the Mass Ave. bus stop, therefore, he wasn’t around to answer any questions.

But the two witnesses were brought to her location, and identified her as the invader’s accomplice. They also said they recognized the green van parked at the residence.

Krain was arrested and charged with daytime B&E.