Suspicious activity leads to Peabody couples’ arrest

SALEM – A man and a woman from Peabody were arrested on a variety of charges Tuesday and it all began when a Vernon Street woman discovered one of the suspects rummaging through her backyard at 5:30 a.m., police said.Joseph J. Kennedy, 21 and Maureen C. Burgoyne, 31, both of 62 Lowell St., Peabody, were both arrested on several charges including receiving a stolen motor vehicle.The resident called police after she saw the couple walking in the driveway in between 3 and 5 Springside Ave. Around the same time, the Vernon Street resident called police stating an unknown man was in her backyard.Police caught up with Kennedy, who allegedly told them he was looking for a lost wallet, and placed him in a police car without handcuffs until the officer could figure out what was going on.A few moments later, police stopped Burgoyne, who was driving a gray Jeep and she allegedly said that she and Kennedy had been looking for a lost wallet in the area.Upon a search, police discovered a knife in Burgoyne’s possession that violated the city’s knife ordinance and she was placed under arrest. Police also found five glass vials commonly used to smoke cocaine on top of the center console with cocaine residue, police said. Burgoyne was additionally charged with possession of a class B drug (cocaine).While conducting a license plate check, police realized the vehicle Burgoyne was driving was reported stolen from Danvers and both she and Kennedy were charged with receiving a stolen vehicle.Kennedy was also charged with disturbing the peace for frightening residents by being in their backyard at 5:30 a.m., police said.