Police: Man broke into home to profess love for resident

LYNN – A city resident must stay away from a Kirtland Street home after allegedly breaking into the house early Saturday morning to profess his love for a resident.”(The resident) began to scream to her husband to wake up at which point the male party began to run down the stairs,” Lynn Police Officer Jennifer Almonte wrote in a report.Nelson Deleon, 30, of 293 Boston St. #1, was arrested and charged with malicious destruction of property +$250; and nighttime felony breaking and entering; at 6:15 a.m. Saturday.He was arraigned on the charges Monday in Lynn District Court where a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.Police responded to 61 Kirtland St. on the report of a breaking and entering in progress and found Deleon (who was wearing no shoes and had bloody feet) and the resident’s husband (who was in his underwear) in the basement, according to police.The alleged object of Deleon’s desire told police she and her husband were in bed when she awoke to footsteps on the stairway. The woman said she thought it was her daughter and was about to get up when a man opened the bedroom door, according to police. The woman’s husband awoke to her screaming and allegedly caught up to the man after a brief chase down the street. The resident said she recognized the man as her former coworker, and the couple convinced him to return and discuss the incident. Deleon allegedly told the couple he was in love with the female resident and wanted to confess his love to her.Police reported cardboard the residents had taped in a broken basement window had been removed, as had items that had been put in front of the broken window. Deleon’s sneakers were also found in the basement, and Deleon had a memory card from the husband’s phone, police reported. The female resident told police the cardboard was installed after someone broke the window to get into the home and steal her underwear.Essex Assistant District Attorney Justin Edwards acknowledged Deleon had no record but requested some cash bail be issued and that the defendant stay away and have no contact with the residents of the home.”Two people are home in the middle of the night, with their family, and this defendant, who has some sort of obsession with the female homeowner, breaks in and wakes them up,” Edwards said.But court-appointed defense attorney Nicholas Morris said there were “no facts at all to support even an inference that Deleon did that prior break-in.” Morris requested the defendant be released, reiterating that Deleon had no record. Morris also suggested a harassment order if members felt threatened by Deleon.Judge Mary McCabe ordered Deleon released but to stay away from the residence and its occupants. Deleon is scheduled to return to court May 15.