Man wanted for throwing brick at Melrose woman's home may have targeted her for work as reporter
MELROSE – Police are searching for a suspect who threw a brick through a window of a Melrose home, possibly targeting the woman who lives there because of work she does as a reporter for a New Hampshire radio station.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Melrose Police Chief Michael Lyle released surveillance video from the incident, which took place May 21.
The woman was not at the Lynn Fells Parkway home at the time. When she returned, the woman found the brick along with "this is just the beginning" spray painted on the house.
Police later learned that the woman has been the target of similar incidents on five occasions. Those incidents took place at three New Hampshire homes connected to the reporter in Concord, Hampstead, and Hanover.
The victims in the other cases were the woman's boss and parents.
"As part of the ongoing investigation into this matter police are looking at her recent work to determine if there is any connection with the incidents of vandalism," police said in a statement.
Investigators did not say what publication the woman works at.
"It is certainly of a different level when someone targets you for whatever reason. And then a third level when somebody would target you for the reporting work, if in fact that's the motive," Ryan said.
The suspect is believed to be a white man who is about 5'10" tall. He was seen wearing a light blue hooded raincoat, khaki pants, and black sneakers. The man was also wearing a blue-green backpack, police said.
Lyle said there is no threat to the community as a whole.
"For the Melrose residents who may be watching this tonight. This is clearly not a random act. This is a targeted event," Lyle said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police.