Two Arrested For Armed Robbery In Brookline

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline Police have two in custody following an armed robbery on Cushing Road early July 26. A man told police he had a gun pressed to his face in what appears to have been a marijuana conversation gone bad. The man told police after someone put what appeared to be a semi automatic rifle to his face a man and a woman stole his pot in Brookline.

Armed robbery is rare in Brookline. Between January and July 16 this year, there were only four robberies in town, according to police data. And despite 75 reports of assault and 259 reports of assault during that same time, overall crime appears to be down in town, according to police. Last year of the 12 robberies that occurred in town, only two involved a firearm, three involved a knife and four were unarmed but considered"strong-arm" robberies. Two of them were home invasions, and one was a bank robbery, according to police data

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A police officer happened to be patrolling in the area of Milton and Cushing roads and saw a woman standing in the middle of a driveway who looked like she was yelling and looking toward Cushing Road. The officer said he then saw a man walking down Cushing at 2:11 a.m. that he was getting ready to talk to before he lost sight of the man in the darkness. Right about that same time, a call came over the police radio of a report that two people just entered a home on Cushing Road and put a gun to the caller's face and left.

The person who called police said they were talking with a man about marijuana when all of a sudden he had a black colored automatic firearm pressed against his head, according to police. Although much of the report was redacted, there was no mention of whether there was any money that was slated to be exchanged for the marijuana.

He told police the two people took his pot and left after that. Several police officers canvassed the area for the two suspects, found them and then eventually found the firearm that was later determined to be a BB gun and several paper bags containing marijuana and glass jars of pot on Walnut Street.

Tara Gallagher,36, of Chestnut Street in Brookline and John Dinis, 22, also of Chestnut Street were arrested and charged at 3:33 a.m. with armed robbery from a residence.

Arrest does not imply conviction.

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Photo of the Brookline Police Station by Jenna Fisher/ Patch staff