Nahant official recalls bizarre break-in

NAHANT – Timothy Lowe thought his son might have burned something in the kitchen when smoke detectors abruptly woke him early Saturday morning. Once he saw it was an intruder, though, he tackled the man without a second thought and held him down until police could arrive.?You don?t think about it, you just act,” said Lowe, Nahant?s public works superintendent, Tuesday.He described the weekend break-in of his 19 Maple Ave. home in detail, saying he was grateful neither of his sons, ages 11 and 18, were home at the time.?We were sound asleep when the smoke alarms woke us up – and I was assuming it was our older son having a snack and maybe he burned something,” Lowe said.Lowe went downstairs just in time to see 18-year-old Joshua Carreiro trying to flee out the back door of the three-bedroom house.?That?s when I tackled him and had my wife call 911,” Lowe said.Lowe held Carreiro down until authorities arrived and only after he was safely in police custody did Mary Lowe go back upstairs and notice a bedroom in flames.?She came down yelling and I think I put it out with a fire extinguisher,” Lowe said. “But the fire department showed up fast as well.”Officers recovered a bag of stolen items from the kitchen, according to police reports. The bag contained items from Lowe?s home as well as from two cars Carreiro had burglarized along the street before entering Lowe?s house.?He got all my credit cards, my wife?s credit cards and my kid?s savings – about $100,” Lowe said.But Carreiro apparently didn?t see his son?s lock box, which contained even more money he earned from dog walking and other ventures, he said. All the money and stolen items were returned to their rightful owners, Lowe said.Carreiro probably recognized the house because he used to go to school with his older son James at Swampscott High School, Lowe said.?The kids knew each other, but they don?t associate anymore because (Carreiro) went down the drug route,” Lowe said.The fire started in James Lowe?s bedroom when Carreiro lit a candle in order to see and didn?t put it out, but because the door was shut the fire didn?t spread, Lowe said. He described the second-floor bedroom as “totaled,” saying nothing, including all of the teen?s clothes, his TV and bedroom furniture, is salvageable.?We?ll never get that smoke smell out,” Lowe said. “But no one was hurt and that?s what matters.”Nahant Police arrested and charged Carreiro with 18 offenses, including seven drug possession charges, breaking and entering nighttime for felony, arson of a dwelling, property destruction and breaking and entering a motor vehicle. A Lynn District Court judge ordered him held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Monday.?I hope (Carreiro) gets a lot of time,” Lowe said. “Maybe he?ll get some help.”Taylor Provost can be reached at [email protected].