Cambridge police find 123 stolen parking meters in suspect's home

Cambridge detectives stumbled upon more than 100 stolen parking meters in nearly every corner of a Cambridge man's home Monday night.

Police are calling their arrest of Thomas Gannon a lucky break in one of the department's strangest cases.

Disappearing parking meters has been a problem in Cambridge since last year when police began receiving reports that someone was decapitating the tops of parking meters in East Cambridge. Most of the 123 meters were stolen from East Cambridge, an area near the arrested man's neighborhood. The tops of other meters were sawed off sidewalk poles in Central Square and about six meters were stolen from Somerville, according to police.

Gannon, 38, of 5 Plymouth St., Apt. 2 was arrested Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. and charged with receiving stolen property over $250 and breaking into a depository.

Police originally went to Gannon's apartment, a three-family home at the intersection of Plymouth Street and Cardinal Medeiros Avenue, to arrest him on a default warrant from Everett police for larceny in a building and trespassing.

"We have a problem," Detective Lt. Steven Demarco yelled out after he opened a door and saw a pile of parking meters lying in a closet during the routine warrant arrest, according to police reports.

During a further search of the apartment, police walked into a room and tripped over another parking meter on the floor in another room, according to reports.

In the room, police allegedly found a bed covered with numerous blankets and a bulge underneath that police first suspected was someone hiding. Once they removed all the blankets, however, police allegedly discovered a folded futon buried underneath a large pile of parking meters, according to reports. Police also allegedly found a large pile of parking meters on the floor covered by a blanket, according to reports.

During his arrest, Gannon refused to speak to police or explain why he allegedly stole the meters, according to reports. Police said the meters had been broken into and the quarters stolen.

"Just the amount of meters taken and the amount of time it took to take the meters to the department is incredible," said Police Spokesman Frank Pasquarello, who said each meter weighs about 50 pounds.

It's unclear how much money the city lost as a result of the thefts - whether through buying new meters and the coins stolen from the decapitated meters. City Manager Bob Healy said the city now uses meters with specially designed "sleeves" to prevent thieves from cutting the meters off their poles.