Woburn PD: Suspected Burglars Had 5 Kids In Car During High Speed Chase
WOBURN (CBS) - A Danvers couple is facing a number of charges after allegedly burglarizing a home in Worburn and taking police on a high speed chase while their five young children were in the getaway car.
Officials say someone called police to report a suspicious man walking around a house around 5:30 p.m. Friday on Mayflower Road.
Responding officers say they found the man inside the home.
The 39-year-old suspect, Ralph Pasquarello, allegedly struggled and swung his arms at officers when they tried to arrest him, and he managed to take off running from the home.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mark Katic reports
Woburn PD: Suspected Burglars Had 5 Kids In Car During High Speed Chase
Pasquarello hopped in a minivan that took off and led Woburn and eventually Lexington police on a high-speed chase through Woburn and Lexington.
Officers say the car hit speeds of up to 75 miles per hour on municipal streets before the driver, identified as the burglary suspect's 26-year-old wife, Salina Pasquarello pulled over.
Police officers found that five young children, all under age 7, inside the van.
"This is a deeply disturbing case that we allege involves a husband and wife committing felonies, with the wife driving a getaway car packed with their young children," Woburn Police Chief Robert J. Ferullo Jr. said in a news release. "These suspects clearly showed reckless disregard for the well being of their children, especially as the mother sped away from police and nearly crashed into several cars before she was caught. This day could have ended much, much worse, and we are just grateful that these children were not injured."
Ralph Pasquarello is facing charges of felony breaking and entering into a building during the daytime, felony vandalism, felony larceny from a building, felony theft, five counts of child endangerment with risk of serious bodily injury, two counts of resisting arrest, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer and failure to stop for police. He was being held on bail.
Salina Pasquarello has been charged with felony breaking and entering into a building during the daytime, felony larceny from a building, felony theft, five counts of child endangerment with risk of serious bodily injury, failure to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and failure to stop for police.
She was released on bail late Friday.
The children were taken to Woburn Police Department, turned over to the Department of Children and Families and initially returned to the custody of their mother and maternal grandmother.
Saturday evening DCF spokesperson Alec Loftus told WBZ-TV's Bree Sison in a statement that the agency has had prior involvement with the family and was in the process of removing the children on an emergency basis. DCF officials will file a care and protection petition with the court next week.
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