Heroin, Stolen Mail Found After Reading Police Chase

READING, MA — Five people were arrested after drugs and stolen mail were found in their car following a police chase in Reading early Monday, police said.

Around 12:50 a.m. Monday, an officer saw a red minivan parked on the street with its engine running. This sparked concern in light of a recent series of thefts from post office boxes, police said. The officer tried to pull the van over on Main Street after it crossed the yellow lines, but it slowed and then abruptly accelerated, police said.

The van fled onto I-95 South, eventually pulling over along the side of the highway. Officers searched the vehicle and found 200 pieces of unopened mail, 11 loose personal checks, three washed personal checks, nine bank cards, a bag of suspected heroin and eight packages of marijuana, police said.

The following people face charges:

Michelly Zavala-Escobar, 21, of Reading:

• Marked Lanes Violation
• Failure to Signal Before Turning/Stopping
• Speeding
• Operating to Endanger
• Failure to Stop for Police
• Operating a Motor Vehicle After License Suspended
• Illegal Possession of a Class A Substance
• Breaking and Entering in the Night Time Into a Depository
• Receiving Stolen Property Over $1,200
• Common Law Conspiracy

Brandon Baez, 18, of Roxbury:

• Breaking and Entering in the Night Time Into a Depository
• Receiving Stolen Property Over $1,200
• Common Law Conspiracy

Anthony Caceres, 20, of Boston; Duary Moreta Garcia, 23, of Boston; and Alex Perez Gonzalez, 21, of Boston:

• Breaking and Entering in the Night Time Into a Depository
• Receiving Stolen Property Over $1,200
• Common Law Conspiracy

Zavala-Escobar, the driver, had the bag of heroin in a purse, police said. Officers found three altered checks with values larger than $4,000 and more than $500 in cash on Baez, as well as a bank card that did not belong to him. They also seized $200 in cash from Calceres, police said.

The five suspects were arraigned in Woburn District Court Monday and released on personal recognizance under the condition they avoid contact with each other. They are due back in court March 24.

"These officers displayed excellent awareness in recognizing a crime in progress and did a great job safely taking these suspects into custody," Reading Police Chief David Clark said.

The Reading Police Department shared the following tips from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to help prevent mail theft and protect your personal information:

• Deposit all outgoing mail at your local post office or hand it to a uniformed USPS letter carrier.
• Deposit your outgoing mail in a blue USPS collection box prior to the last pickup time of the day.
• If you do not receive a check, credit card, or other valuable mail you’re expecting, contact the sender as soon as possible and inquire about it. Never send cash through the mail.
• When mailing something important, consider requesting Signature Confirmation for the intended recipient.
• Do not leave mail or packages next to a collection box if it is full, or if your package does not fit.