Police arrested a Lynn, MA man they caught dragging WFNX-FM Boston equipment down the street midnight Thursday, according to a police report.
Michael McNeil, 30, told the officers he “was a DJ and did gigs on the weekend,” and was transporting his equipment from his grandmother’s house to his girlfriend’s house.
McNeil is charged with breaking and entering nighttime for felony, destruction of property over $250 and receiving stolen property after he allegedly broke the window of a van that was parked behind the Lynn Arts building, which houses the Phoenix Media Group’s heritage Alternative station’s studios, and stole sound gear from inside, according to The Daily Item.
Officers watched McNeil “struggling to drag” the heavy mixing equipment near the intersection of Washington and Union streets in Central Square around 1:30 a.m. While speaking with him, officers noticed scratches on his arms, and radioed for other units to check the WFNX HQ for any sign of a break-in, the report said. An officer reported finding the window of a WFNX van smashed in, and another black case similar to the one McNeil had in his possession was found on the ground not far from the van, the report said.
McNeil has a history of breaking and entering arrests, according to the report.
Police believe McNeil may have stolen the property due to a drug dependency problem.
Lynn District Court Clerk John Fleming, who filled in for the judges while they attended a conference Thursday, ordered McNeil held on $10,000 with $1,000 personal surety, according to court documents. He’s due back in court 6/4.
Phoenix Media Group is in the process of selling the station to Clear Channel for $14.5 million.
See the Daily Item story here.
