Homeless Couple Arrested For Breaking Into Salem Bank

SALEM, MA -- A homeless man and woman are being held on $1,000 bail after police identified them as the two who broke into the Washington Street branch of Bank of America in Salem early Sunday morning. Jason Smith, 48, formerly of Andover, and Jessica Freeman, 40, were arraigned on charges of breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony in Salem District Court on Monday.

Freeman declined to speak to police, but in a statement Smith said the couple had gone into the ATM vestibule to get warm. Smith dozed off and, when he awoke, he saw that the door to the bank was open and Freeman was squeezing through a small opening above the teller counter.

The couple left before police, who had been called by the bank's security company, arrived. They were found and arrested a short time later at a nearby Dunkin' Donuts. Smith told police they did not take anything from the bank, which police confirmed in their report, although teller drawers and the break room showed signs of having been rummaged through.

According to the Salem News, which first reported this story, Smith and Freeman will return to court on March 12.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Salem Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).