$50K bail in car break-in case; 142 charges; four towns hit.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Gary V. Murray

WORCESTER - A 17-year-old charged with breaking into scores of motor vehicles last November in several area towns was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail at his arraignment yesterday in Worcester Superior Court.

Anthony Burns pleaded not guilty to indictments charging him with 76 counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony, 44 counts of larceny of property valued at less than $250, nine counts of maliciously damaging a motor vehicle, six counts of larceny of property valued at more than $250, three counts of tagging property, and single counts of vandalizing property, entering without breaking, larceny of a motor vehicle and being a common and notorious thief.

Prosecutors allege Mr. Burns committed the crimes from Nov. 9 to Nov. 27 in Princeton, West Boylston, Dudley and Holden. Assistant District Attorney Joseph A. Quinlan told Judge Kathe M. Tuttman yesterday that Mr. Burns and unknown accomplices broke into...