LAWRENCE — Police chased down a local man who allegedly stole four laptop computers and a wad of cash from an Essex Street appliance store early yesterday.
Police believe it was the second time in less than a day that Steven Viveiros, 19, broke into Aaron's Appliance Store at 50 Essex St.
Viveiros, of 6 Essex Ave., tried to run away from officers responding to a burglar alarm at Aaron's at 2:40 a.m.
After chasing him through parking lots, heavy brush and a garage, officers finally arrested Viveiros in the Ippolito's parking lot on Union Street, according to a report written by Patrolman Thadeus Czarnecki Jr.
A gray ski mask and a black bag containing the four stolen laptop computers were recovered in a nearby parking lot, Czarnecki wrote.
Viveiros was charged with breaking and entering in the nighttime to commit a felony, resisting arrest, larceny of property valued over $250 and illegal possession of cocaine.
Police believe Viveiros was also involved in a break-in at the store Saturday night.
A garage door near the loading dock was damaged and as a security measure, a box truck was later parked in front of the door.
But early yesterday, police believe Viveiros was back at Aaron's and entered by squeezing between the building and the truck, and kicking in the garage door.
Once inside, "he went to the rear office and kicked open the door and stole four laptop computers and $252 from the cash register drawers," the report said.
Police also recovered a hammer believed to have been used in both breaks.
During the booking, police found a small bag of white powder, believed to be cocaine, in Viveiros' possession.
