Police: 5 kids sat in getaway van during robbery

WOBURN, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) - Five kids were left to wait in a van while their parents robbed a home in Woburn Friday. The parents are facing several charges including larceny and child endangerment.

Police say the parents took off when officers confronted them at that home in Woburn, leading them on a brief chase that ended a few miles away.

The high speed chase the parents were involved in went through two towns, and then came to a dramatic end on a busy road in Lexington. Witness Kathleen Johnson watched it all unfold just steps from her front door.

"They had their guns drawn, the police. They were very quick and they were like 'on the ground, on the ground' and the driver came out and laid on the ground," she said.

Police arrested Ralph, 39, and Salina Pasquarello, 26, of Danvers at the scene. When officers opened the mini-van they took off in, they found five small children inside.

"There were these little girls, four or five little girls and they were just sitting there crying all huddled up, like on the floor. They weren't in seats and they were just screaming 'daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy!'" Johnson said.

Just minutes earlier, police say they caught Ralph in the middle of a burglary at a house on Mayflower Road. Two officers confronted him, but say he then took off and the chase began.

"Two officers chased him about two blocks. He hopped into a waiting car," Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo said.

He went on to say, "We're very fortunate we ended this with nobody hurt, two people under arrest, and the children safe and being cared for."

Ralph and Salina are now facing several charges, including felony breaking and entering and five counts each of child endangerment.

Ralph has been charged with:

• Felony breaking and entering into a building during the daytime
• Felony vandalism
• Felony larceny from a building
• Felony theft
• Five counts of child endangerment with risk of serious bodily injury
• Two counts of resisting arrest
• Two counts of assault and battery on a police officer
• Failure to stop for police

He was being held pending bail late Friday.

Salina was charged with the following:

• Felony breaking and entering into a building during the daytime
• Felony larceny from a building
• Felony theft
• Five counts of child endangerment with risk of serious bodily injury
• Failure to stop for police
• Negligent operation of a motor vehicle
• Failure to stop for police

She was released on bail late Friday. Police notified DCF, but say when Salina made bail all five children went with her, in the same van used in the police chase.

"She made bail. That's how she left the station. The van was no longer of interest in the investigation and as far as the children go, that's going to be a DCF issue," Ferullo said.

DCF does plan to take custody of the children. They released the following statement Saturday:

"DCF is in the process of taking custody of the children on an emergency basis and will file a care and protection petition with the court next week."

And the owner of that home in Woburn didn't want to talk on camera, but told FOX 25 he believes they were trying to steal his television.

Police say the only thing Ralph got out of the house with was a remote control, which he threw at police as he took off down the street.

Cox Media Group