Police allege two men stole clothes from Wrentham church trash; captured after a long pursuit | Local News
WRENTHAM – Two men who allegedly stole clothes from a garbage can behind a local church were captured after a lengthy police chase in the woods off Interstate 495, authorities said.
Jonathan L. Pires, 25, of Brockton, and Nuno J. Andrade, 22, of Taunton, were arraigned in Wrentham District Court on Tuesday and released without posting bail. A third individual is also wanted, according to a police report.
The alleged theft occurred at around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday behind St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 130 South St.
Police said the suspects were in a U-Haul van which was spotted by Constable Jacob Halloway leaving the church parking lot and heading south towards Plainville.
When Halloway attempted to stop the van, it accelerated and entered Interstate 495 South and continued for approximately 10 miles to Route 138 in Raynham, where an officer deployed a deflation device. tires, police said.
The pickup truck continued to drive with flat tires before occupants fled the vehicle when it struck a tree off the highway, police said.
Officers searched a wooded area with the help of state police and a K9 state police unit before the two suspects were apprehended.
Clothes from the trash were recovered in the van, which was towed to the police station, authorities said.
The suspects have been ordered to stay away from St. Mary’s Church and are due to return to court in November.
They face charges of receiving stolen property and breaking into a depot.
Theft of clothing from donation bins is something police encounter more often, according to Chief Bill McGrath.
“This type of theft is on the increase. The bad guys either sell the stolen goods to second-hand clothing stores or sell them themselves online for profit, ”McGrath said on the department’s Facebook page.
Often, the trash cans contain high-quality, designer clothes that are highly sought after by thieves, he said.
Last October, Plainville police arrested a Pawtucket man who was trying to steal clothes from a donation bin near Wood Elementary School at around 3 a.m.
David Linton can be reached at 508-236-0338.
