Man Arrested After Stealing a Car in Worcester

Monday, August 14, 2017

GoLocalWorcester News Team

A Worcester Police officer on patrol stopped a car theft in progress in the area of Washington Square in Worcester.

Juan Torres, 43, of Lynn was arrested and charged with Breaking and Entering into a Motor Vehicle, Possession of a Class B Substance, Possession of Burglarious Instruments, Trespassing, Attempted Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and Malicious Destruction of Property over $250.

The Incident

On August 11 at about 11:55 a.m., a Worcester police officer was on patrol in the area of Washington Square. He pulled into the Homewood Suites by Hilton and saw a green Honda in the back end of the parking lot underneath the 290 overpass. The man in the car appeared to be nervous and was frantically looking around. The officer did not activate his blue lights, and parked his cruiser about 50 feet away from the Honda. He walked up to investigate, and as he approached the car he saw a man inside, later identified as Torres, 43, smoking something out of what looked like a crack pipe.

The officer knocked on the car window and Torres immediately opened the door and got out of the vehicle. Torres initially said that he was doing “nothing,” but soon admitted that he was smoking crack. Torres said that he was not a guest at the hotel, and did not know whose car he was in. Another officer arrived to assist, and Torres was placed under arrest. Officers recovered a small amount of crack cocaine.

The officer looked into the car, and saw that the ignition was tampered with. The key insert was broken off, and the plastic area around it was ripped out. A screwdriver was on the front passenger seat. Officer’s ran the license plate and found out the registered owner’s information. The owner had lent her car to her friend, who was working at the hotel. Neither the owner nor the friend knew Juan Torres, and both said that he did not have permission to be in the car. Both the owner and the friend said that the ignition had been intact earlier today, and that there was no screwdriver in the car.