Man allegedly steals copper, valuables from burned Lynn house

LYNN – A judge set $1,000 cash bail for a city man whom a homeowner said he caught multiple times inside a burned-out house trying to steal copper and other valuables.”I try to help everybody out; to see something like this, it really hurts,” said homeowner Bonthan Phok. Phok is the owner of, and formerly lived at, a multi-generational family home on Chestnut Street that burned in a three-alarm fire Dec. 10.Sidney Robinson, 42, of 75 Seymour Ave., was arrested and charged with nighttime felony breaking and entering; possession of a burglarious instrument; and malicious destruction of property +$250; on Sunday.He was arraigned on the charges Tuesday in Lynn District Court where a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.Officers responded at 10:22 p.m. Sunday to 139 Chestnut St. for a breaking and entering in progress where the alleged victim was trying to hold the suspect for police, according to a report by Lynn Police Officer Raymond Guillermo.The suspect managed to escape, but the alleged victims and police chased the suspect to the corner of Union and Lincoln streets, according to police.Police reported officers found a flashlight on Robinson when he was arrested and a metal cutter nearby that the witnesses identified as being used in the crime.Phok said Thursday – and told officers in the report – that he and another witness heard noise inside the family’s boarded-up home at the Chestnut Street address and found Robinson with a flashlight and a sheet-metal cutter.Phok said it was the fourth time that he had seen Robinson and/or another man inside the home. The first incident occurred two days after the fire, when Phok said he saw Robinson rifling through the family belongings still inside the home.Phok said Robinson – whom Phok estimated outweighed him by 125 pounds and was at least a foot taller – had said he was just looking for a place to sleep and left when Phok threatened to call police.This happened two more times before the Sunday incident, by which time thieves had cleaned out all the copper wires and pipes in the house, Phok said.But court-appointed defense attorney Michael Dunphy said Tuesday that Robinson was simply out walking on the street and denied the alleged burglary. Dunphy said police found a metal cutter on the ground near where three people were attacking Robinson with a shovel.”(The alleged victims) told a beautiful story to officers that allowed them to walk away; (Robinson) was not able to talk to police,” Dunphy said. He noted police took Robinson to the hospital with a cut on his leg which Robinson attributed to being hit with the shovel. He requested Robinson be released.Phok said Thursday that they did not hit Robinson with the shovel and speculated Robinson may have cut his leg on nails from the windows broken to access the boarded-up home. (Phok also said the family was still looking for a place where they could all live together.) Judge James Wexler ordered $1,000 cash bail and scheduled Robinson to return to court Feb. 13.