Two Lynn men nabbed for robbery

LYNN – It didn’t take long for two burglars to get caught Monday after they allegedly threw a safe into Flax Pond as curious neighbors at a nearby Labor Day cookout looked on.Lynn residents Orlando Maldonado, 18, of 374 Chatham St. and Douglas Young, 19, of 19 President St., were arrested a few minutes after their 2:45 p.m. toss.When police arrived at the scene, they found a passport and other documents floating in the water near the safe that had been stolen from a home on Hammond Street, according to police.After the men had been arrested, police found numerous pieces of women’s jewelry in their possession, as well as men’s watches, two digital cameras and a cell phone worth hundreds of dollars. Police linked the men to a theft on Hammond Street about six hours after their arrest when a house break was reported. The resident positively identified the items and the safe as hers.Police were called to Flax Pond when a Lake Avenue resident called saying he observed a man allegedly take a safe from a car at the end of the road and throw it into the pond. He said the car was occupied by three males and a female driver, who sped down the side street that was lined with parked cars due to a neighbor’s barbeque.The resident happened to write down the license plate number, which showed the car was registered to a North Bend Street address, police said.Officer Ralph Sirois parked his car in a North Bend Street parking lot and observed the suspect’s vehicle turn onto the street a few minutes later.Police noticed the rear seat passengers began fumbling with their hands and ordered them out of the vehicle, according to police.Officers first noticed Young remove several pieces of women’s jewelry from his pockets, police said, adding that Maldonado had a large quantity of jewelry on his person as well.Police eventually determined the female driver and another male, her boyfriend, were not part of their alleged burglary and that she was actually a victim.At the police station, Sirois said he found the woman’s credit card in Young’s pocket.The woman allegedly told police that her Webster Street home had recently been burglarized and she suspected Young had something to do with it. Police found a personal check belonging to the woman’s mother in Young’s possession as well, police said.