Somerville Police Seek Serial Home Burglar

Somerville police said on May 21 that they were searching for 48-year-old Fabio Armelio, a man they say is wanted on 11 active arrest warrants tied to a series of residential break-ins in the city’s West End. Officers described Armelio as a white man, about 5 feet 11 inches tall and roughly 170 pounds, with brown and gray hair and brown eyes. Police said his last known location was near Ossipee Road and told residents not to approach him. The department’s public warning follows months of concern about residential break-ins in Somerville. Since February 3, 2026, Somerville police have said, seven residential break-ins were reported in the city’s east end, with five of those incidents occurring while residents were home. Police said arrests had been made in some cases, but additional break-ins occurred afterward and the investigation remained active. ### Who are police looking for? Fabio Armelio, 48, is the man Somerville police named in their May 21 public notice. Officers said he is wanted on 11 active warrants connected to breaking-and-entering cases and may be tied to multiple home burglaries in the West End. Police said Armelio is believed to be unhoused and has been seen in Somerville’s West End. The department said anyone who sees him should keep their distance and call 617-625-1600 or 911 rather than trying to detain him. ### What have police said about the recent break-ins? Somerville police said in a February 13 public notice that seven residential break-ins had been reported in the east end of the city since February 3. Those incidents happened close to one another, according to the department, and residents were home in five of the reported break-ins. That same notice said two additional residential breaking-and-entering incidents were reported in Ward 6. Police said residents were not known to have been home during those two break-ins. ### Is this the same suspect tied to earlier Somerville cases? Boston.com reported on January 6, 2025, that Armelio had been arrested after a resident found an unknown man in the basement of a Cherry Street home in Somerville. In that case, police said Armelio, then 47, was arrested without incident after officers responded to the report. Boston.com also reported that Armelio was considered a person of interest in 12 breaking-and-entering cases since Dec. 20, 2024, in Somerville’s Powder House neighborhood. That earlier reporting aligns with the police description in the latest notice that Armelio has a history of targeting homes. ### What are residents being told to do now? Somerville police have urged residents to lock doors and windows, even when they are home. The department also told people in multi-family buildings not to buzz in people they do not know, to leave lights on when away, and to consider motion-sensor lighting or security cameras. A November 27, 2025 report by WHDH said police investigating another cluster of Somerville break-ins advised residents in the affected area to secure doors and windows and leave lights on when not home. In that case, police said at least two incidents occurred over a weekend on Harold Street, Wyatt Street and Dimick Street. ### Where can people send tips? The Somerville Police Department says residents can submit anonymous tips through an online crime-tip form. The form allows people to send information, photos or videos without transmitting their contact information to police. The department said emergencies should be reported through 911, while non-emergency information can be called in to 617-625-1600. In a separate February appeal for help identifying a person of interest in recent break-ins, police also directed people to contact Detective Courtney Reece at 617-625-1600 ext. 7250 or by email. May 21 is the latest dated public notice tied to Armelio, and police said the search was ongoing. The next public updates are likely to come through Somerville police notices, the department’s anonymous tip portal, or court records if an arrest is made.