NORTH READING 一 Chief Michael Murphy reports that the North Reading Police Department is investigating a break-in and burglary that occurred at a motorbike store over the weekend.
On Saturday, July 9, at approximately 3:30 a.m., a North Reading police officer observed a breaking and entering in progress at North Reading Motorsports, 49 Main St., while performing routine building checks in the area.
Upon arriving at the scene, the officer observed damage to the building’s front entrance. The officer also observed a male suspect allegedly fleeing the scene in a U-Haul cargo van.
The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, however, the suspect refused to stop and continued to flee at a high rate of speed. Due to the erratic operation and high speed of the fleeing cargo van, the officer terminated the pursuit.
Through a subsequent investigation, police determined that two motorbikes had been stolen from the store. Police believe that six male suspects were involved in the incident, five of whom fled the scene prior to the officer’s arrival.
Police determined that the damage to the store’s front entrance was caused after the suspects allegedly used the U-Haul cargo van to ram into the store to gain access inside.
Police located a black SUV in Lawrence with a stolen registration believed to be connected to the incident on Sunday, July 10. Officers recovered one of the missing motorbikes in the SUV.
The U-Haul cargo van also was located in Lawrence on Tuesday, July 12, and North Reading Police, working with Lawrence Police, determined that it had been stolen.
The suspects are believed to be connected to several similar incidents throughout eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the North Reading Police Department at 978-664-3131.
The incident remains under investigation by the North Reading Police Department and local and state law enforcement partners around the region, including the Lawrence, Beverly and Chelmsford Police Departments.
