Lawyer: Burglary suspect had permission

LYNN – A prosecutor said a city woman was carrying four kinds of drugs and other people’s credit cards when she and another woman were caught breaking into an apartment Tuesday.But the defendant said the women were trying to get back into a sick brother’s home who they feared had suffered a seizure while they were away at the store, according to a defense attorney.”It was not an attempt to break into the apartment to steal anything; it was an attempt to get into a place where they had permission to be,” said court-appointed Defense Attorney Alicia Andrews.Carrie A. Guthro, 38, of 48 Saratoga #1, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute Class A heroin; possession of Class A heroin, subsequent offense; possession with intent to distribute Class B crack cocaine; possession of Class B crack cocaine, subsequent offense; possession of Class E drugs, subsequent offense, two counts; possession of a burglarious instrument, a knife; and attempt to commit a crime; at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.Leah Pahlm, 39, of the same address, will be summonsed for possession of a burglarious instrument; and attempt to commit a crime; in the same incident, according to police.A plea of not guilty was entered on Guthro’s behalf at her arraignment Wednesday.Police responded to 498 Essex St. at 2:54 p.m. Tuesday, and found Guthro and Pahlm sitting on the floor in front of apartment 102, according to a report by Lynn Police Officer William Stilwell. A witness told another officer at the scene she had seen the women trying to unscrew the lock on the door and pry it open with a knife, police reported.Pahlm immediately handed responding officers a screwdriver, police reported. Asked if they had anything else they shouldn’t, both women stated ‘no,’ according to police.But police said Guthro then stood up and revealed a silver kitchen knife under her leg. Police said a subsequent search of both women revealed Guthro was carrying 23 Imipramine and 19-and-2-half Mirtazapine pills, with a prescription for the pills made out to a different woman; and two crack pipes with suspected crack cocaine residue.Police reported they let Pahlm go and told her to expect a summons for court.Guthro was taken to the station, where officers reported she began acting like she was hiding something. A subsequent search by a female officer turned up two individual twists of suspected heroin and two individual twists of suspected crack cocaine concealed in Guthro’s clothes, police reported. Police also reported finding multiple credit cards belonging to two men, according to police.Assistant District Attorney Mark Byron requested $5,000 cash bail, noting Guthro “had a history of defaulting, a history of violating probation and a history of committed time.”But Andrews said Guthro and Pahlm, who were sisters, were trying to get into their epileptic brother’s apartment.”They left to go to the store, came back and found he had locked the door,” Andrews said. “They couldn’t contact him ? and were concerned for their brother’s safety.”She did not discuss the suspected drugs or credit cards. Andrews requested the defendant be released on personal recognizance, noting that Guthro’s record showed “in recent years, she appears to come to court.”Lynn District Court Judge Ellen Flatley – who had interrupted the proceedings twice to tell the defendant to stop talking and pay attention – set $1,000 cash bail.Guthro is scheduled to return to court July 19.Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].