Police charge resident in Inman Square crimes

SOMERVILLE -- Police investigating a series of break-ins and assaults in the Inman Square neighborhood arrested a local resident yesterday in connection with two of the incidents.

Police charged Scott L. Barrett, 26, of Springfield Street, with breaking into a Rose Street apartment June 26 and threatening a male resident with a weapon after the resident tackled him before retreating.

Police also charged Barrett with breaking into a house on Dimick Street July 1 and hurling a trash barrel at a resident there who ran after him. Police said Barrett was attempting to steal a computer, a bicycle, and other items. Barrett, according to police, made his way through alleys and backyards to escape arrest.

' ''Hopefully this arrest will put the public's fears to rest," said Lieutenant Paul Trant, a police spokesman.

Police say Barrett has been arrested at least eight times on similar charges; the disposition of those previous charges was unavailable last night.

Two police detectives arrested Barrett at his workplace, J&C Adams Co. Inc., a window retailer on New Street in Cambridge. He was held without bail and will be arraigned on four felony charges at 9 a.m. today at Somerville District Court, Trant said.

Barrett's mother, Carol, 65, said her son is wrongly accused. The elder Barrett, who lives in the same building and baby-sits her son's 3-year-old child, said her son has a full schedule attending alcohol, drug, and domestic violence counseling and does not have time to break into houses in the neighborhood.

''He's my son, and I can account for his 24 hours a day," she said. ''He has been falsely accused."

Carol Barrett added that she hoped her son would ''sue the pants off the Somerville police."

Last Friday, victims of the two break-ins and assaults identified Barrett in a photo array, police said.

Judit Vajda, 25, of Norfolk Street in Cambridge, reported to police that a man tried to break into her apartment July 1. ''I still am a little bit freaked out," she said. ''It's kind of scary to know you don't know who your neighbor is."

Benjamin Gedan can be reached at gedan@globe.com.