Homeless man leads Lynn police on bicycle chase

LYNN – A homeless man with two outstanding warrants led police on a chase through downtown Lynn, tying up Saturday afternoon traffic before he attempted to hide by breaking into a stranger’s house, police said.Charles Darcy, 41, was arrested and charged with breaking and entering to commit a felony, malicious destruction of property and disorderly conduct. His warrants were for heroin possession, shoplifting and disorderly conduct-related charges.The ordeal began at about 2:30 p.m. when an officer working a security detail at Stop and Shop on Washington Street noticed Darcy drive by the supermarket on his bicycle. The officer had dealt with Darcy before and knew warrants had been issued for his arrest.The information was radioed to Officer Ralph Sirois Jr. who was patrolling Franklin Street in his marked police car. He came up on Darcy when the suspect took a sharp turn on his bicycle onto Lyman Street, heading the wrong way down the one-way street, according to a police report.Sirois drove down Laighton Street, which is parallel to Lyman, in an effort to stop Darcy on Washington Street. When Darcy emerged, he allegedly rode his bike onto Laighton away from Sirois as his police lights and sirens were blaring.Darcy eventually fell off his bike as numerous police cars swarmed the area. Darcy allegedly went to the back of a home on Laighton Street and kicked in the door. He never made it inside, however, because police caught up and arrested him. Unfortunately the door was severely damaged and could not be closed as a result.Police said the incident gridlocked traffic in the Washington Street area and caused loads of people to exit their homes to watch the unfolding incident.Darcy was arraigned Monday in Lynn District Court before Judge Albert Conlon and ordered held on $1,000 cash bail. He is scheduled back in court May 26 for a pre-trial hearing.