IMAGE COURTESY OF THE LYNN POLICE DEPARTMENT
In a still from surveillance video, an armed robber leaps over the counter at Richdale convenience store at 453 Chatham St. in Lynn at around 7:15 p.m. Nov. 26.
By THOMAS GRILLO and GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — A 26-year-old homeless man was arraigned Tuesday in District Court, charged with a string of armed robberies in Lynn over the past two months.
Wastter Guerra, who has ties to the city and is known to police, was arrested in Boston by State Police for allegedly robbing nine convenience stores.
Guerra is charged with eight counts of armed and masked robbery, one count of unarmed robbery and an outstanding warrant for disorderly conduct and drug possession with intent to distribute.
Guerra pleaded not guilty. He was ordered held without bail by Judge James LaMothe pending a dangerousness hearing next Tuesday.
The Essex County District Attorney’s Office said Guerra also had a probation warrant from Salem District Court.
Lynn Police Lt. Rick Donnelly said the arrest had been in the works since last week when Lynn police released surveillance video from one of the robberies and received information that led to Guerra’s arrest.
“We got all kinds of information based on help we got from local media and citizens,” Donnelly said. “We thank the media and the public for their assistance.”
Nine robberies have been reported from late October through last weekend. In all but one of the incidents, a handgun was brandished, Donnelly said.
Police said most of the robberies occurred after dark and money was stolen in all but one instance. More than $1,000 had been taken in the series of incidents.
The first robbery happened in late October at Richdale convenience store on North Franklin Street. There were a pair of robberies last weekend, at Corner Store on Market Street and Little Caesars Pizza at Market Square.
Other robberies included Convenience Station on Western Avenue, which was hit twice; CVS on South Common Street; Richdale on Chatham Street; Jenny’s Convenience Store on Henry Avenue and Tedeschi Food Shops on Lewis Street.
Thomas Grillo can be reached at tgrillo@itemlive.com.