Lynn, Peabody youths caught in Salem on armed robbery charges

SALEM – A group of four young men went on a robbery rampage early Friday morning in Lynn and Salem before getting caught red-handed.Matthew Elwell, 20, of 121 Central St., Peabody, Johnathan Lara, 19, of 7 Howard St., Lynn, Daniel R. Maffei, 20, 1 Pond St., Winthrop, and Andrew L. O?Brien, 19, 9 Carson St., Dorchester, were all arrested and charged with armed robbery.According to a police report, a Salem Police officer on patrol in the Highland Avenue area saw a silver PT Cruiser stopped at a red light with a license plate that matched a report of an armed robbery in Lynn with a handgun.After calling for backup, the officer followed the vehicle as it drove toward Peabody, straight onto a dead end street.Positioning his cruiser to block the suspect vehicle, the officer activated his lights in an attempt to blind the driver.Exiting the vehicle, the officer pointed his gun at the operator and ordered him to turn off the vehicle.Soon after, four other officers arrived on scene and removed each of the suspects from the vehicle and handcuffed them.Lynn Police was then notified and the victim was brought to the scene, who identified the car and the suspects involved in the robbery.A black pellet gun, which looked like an exact replica of a real handgun, was located in the glove box of the vehicle.All four occupants were arrested and transported to Salem Police for booking and then released to Lynn Police.Maffie was later identified as the operator, Elwell as the front seat passenger, and O?Brien and Lara as the backseat passengers.Bill Woods Towing towed the vehicle to the Lynn Police Department.