Pair charged with breaking into car at Peabody mall

PEABODY – Two thieves were arrested Tuesday after they were spotted breaking into a car at the Northshore Mall, according to a press release from the Peabody Police Department.Melvin Cortes, 26, of 1019 Saratoga St., Boston and Llimer Garcia, 23, of 855 Broadway, #503, Chelsea, were both charged with breaking and entering in the daytime to a motor vehicle with intent to commit a felony, malicious damage to a motor vehicle, larceny over $250, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, receiving a stolen motor vehicle and receiving stolen property over $250, according to the release.Cortes was additionally charged with failure to stop for police, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, second offense.Police received a tip around 4 p.m. Tuesday that two males had broken into a car parked at the Northshore Mall and provided a description of the vehicle in question, according to the press release.An officer in the area of the mall saw the vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but the driver spotted the cruiser and took off at a high rate of speed.The driver, later identified as Cortes, refused to stop after the officer activated his lights and siren and drove to North Shore Road, continuing onto Lowell Street headed toward West Peabody. After a few miles, the car suddenly swerved into a driveway and both Cortes and Garcia jumped out and ran away.After a short foot pursuit into the woods, an officer caught up with Garcia, while another officer apprehended Cortes on the Centennial Drive overpass near the entrance to Route 128 south, according to the release.The vehicle, a 1997 Honda Civic, turned out to have been stolen from Lynn on Tuesday and had a GPS unit and several car stereos inside. Police say the GPS and one of the car stereos belonged to a victim whose car had just been broken into at the mall.