Methuen man gets jail time for store break-in

NEWBURYPORT – A Methuen man charged in connection with a break-in at a Seabrook convenience store in June was sentenced to 18 months in jail after pleading guilty in Newburyport District Court.

Steven O’Neil, 38, of 11 College Lane was charged with receiving stolen property less than $1,200 and heroin possession after Salisbury and Seabrook detectives searched a Beach Road motel. In addition to items reported stolen from O’Keefe’s General Store on Ocean Boulevard, police found heroin and drug paraphernalia, according to a police report.

At his appearance last week in court, O’Neil pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced to 18 months.

At the same time, O’Neil pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of property less than $1,200 and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license after an earlier episode in which a man’s car was damaged in Newburyport. He was given a year in jail for each charge with all jail time to be served concurrently.

O’Neil was already being held in custody when police searched a Beachway Motel room registered under his girlfriend’s name, according to a police report. That prompted Salisbury police Detective Keith Forget to issue a warrant for his arrest should he be released.

A Seabrook police official said Tuesday his department charged O’Neil in the convenience store break-in.

On June 13, O’Neil allegedly threw a rock through the front door, forced his way into the store, and stole cigarette cartons, beer and candy.

Seabrook police detectives soon learned that many of the items were being stashed inside a Beachway Motel room and requested Salisbury police assistance, according to Forget’s report.

A day later, O’Neil was arrested in Methuen after barricading himself in his home a day after stealing a Nashua, New Hampshire, woman’s dog. He was arrested peacefully and charged with receiving stolen property. He was then transported to New Hampshire to answer charges related to the O’Keefe’s incident.

The Newburyport charges involve O’Neil and his girlfriend vandalizing her ex-boyfriend’s Jeep Grand Cherokee in May.

While the victim was working at a New Pasture Road business, O’Neil and his girlfriend slashed three of the tires and smashed two windows before driving off, according to a Newburyport police report.

The victim told police he didn’t want to get them involved because his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend had just gotten out of prison, according to Newburyport police Officer Kyle McElroy’s report.

Staff writer Dave Rogers can be reached at drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.