Suspect In Quincy Break-In Tried To Hide In Shipping Container: Police

QUINCY, MA — A Roxbury man faces charges after allegedly breaking into apartments in North Quincy.

Stephen Jones, 55, pleaded not guilty to breaking and entering in the daytime, possession of burglarious tools, and defacing property during his arraignment Monday afternoon in Quincy District Court. He was ordered held on $7,500 cash bail and bail from another case was revoked.

On May 19 at about 10:45 a.m., a resident of an apartment on Hunt Street told an officer working a paid detail near North Quincy High School that someone broke into his apartment and ran towards the train station. At the North Quincy MBTA station, an officer located Jones, who allegedly had a backpack, black cloth, and a shirt with sweat on it. When police asked Jones to speak to them, he began to walk faster, before ditching the cloth and backpack and fleeing the train station.

Jones was located inside a shipping container at a nearby construction site. He came out after police surrounded the container.

Other victims at the apartment building were able to identify Jones as the suspect. One woman said she was laying in bed when she noticed someone turning the knob to her bedroom. She then saw Jones, who allegedly had a screwdriver in his hands.

In the backpack, police found a screwdriver.

Jones' defense attorney said his client was the victim of "an unfortunate set of circumstances." He told the court that Jones was earning his MBA when he was prescribed oxycodone for a back injury and became addicted. He requested $500 bail and asked that for the previous case to not be revoked.

Jones is due back in court June 22.

Image: File Photo