Brookline Police Arrest 2 in Connection with 11 Area Burglaries

BROOKLINE, MA — Police arrested two men Monday accused of nearly a dozen separate break-ins at area businesses from Brookline to Stoneham since April, including the Washington Square Tavern and Anatolia Restaurant.

After a months-long investigation, Brookline police arrested Michael Wallace, 52, of Malden, and Mark Burhoe Sr., 44, of Charlestown on warrants in connection to two of four Brookline burglaries.

Police said they have video evidence of the men coming to and then leaving restaurants on the August night Washington Square Tavern was burglarized and on the November night when Anatolia Restaurant was robbed last year.

In addition to securing warrants for their arrests, police obtained warrants to search their homes and cars on Jan. 13.

"[E]vidence, including clothing and tools, were recovered," police said. "These pieces of evidence further linked the suspects to several other breaks they are suspected of."

In addition to the Brookline larcenies, Police said they suspect the men of break-ins across Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties.

During each of the burglaries, the burglers would target safes, registers and offices, according to police. In at least two of the break-ins, the suspects took large safes, rather than wrestle with the codes.

Based on the evidence they collected, police said the men could yet be linked to other incidents.

Brookline Police - along with Boston Police, Boston Regional Intelligence Center Special Investigations Unit, Stoneham, Belmont, and Burlington police departments - had been investigating a series of ongoing commercial burglaries in the Greater Boston area since April.

Police said they believe the men were connected to burglaries from Stoneham to Burlington:

• 4/7/19 - Stoneham
• 5/12/19 - Brookline
• 5/13/19 - West Roxbury
• 8/23/19 - Brookline
• 9/15/19 - Stoneham
• 10/25/19 - Brighton
• 10/26/19 - Brighton
• 11/27/19 - Belmont
• 11/27/19 - Belmont
• 12/15/19 - Belmont
• 1/5/2020 - Burlington

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).