*** WATCH *** WILD ONE-NIGHT CRIME SPREE: Cops investigating car thefts, B&Es and larcenies near Dennis/Harwich line… one male in custody… [UPDATED]
SOUTH DENNIS – [HN NOTES] – ‘What in The Wide World of Sports just happened in the towns of Dennis and Harwich?’ was a thought I had while turning onto Route 6, aiming the news-mobile – also known as “the little blue shark,” as I prefer to call it – westbound from Dennis back toward Hyannis, on a night when Hyannis had been relatively quiet…
… for a change.
“Relatively quiet,” I say, but not dead, as I had been in the middle of working on another story from the weekend where police tried to pull over a New Bedford woman and her female passenger, when suddenly the duo went full “Thelma & Louise” for some reason, leading officers on a pursuit through the streets of Hytown before being stopped and placed in custody behind a patch of local apartment buildings – it was that kind of “relatively quiet,” with the emphasis on “relatively.” (And HN will try to let everyone in on the other story later, if and when there’s time… ah, the time, why does it always keep on slipping-slipping-slipping into the future?)
So, what did just happen?
Well, according to radio traffic, Dennis and Harwich police officers spent a good chunk of their Sunday evening looking for some desperado who had allegedly been involved in a domestic assault and battery. And as the caper wore on, with a K9 unit deployed and officers searching wooded areas along Route 6 near the Harwich/Dennis line, state troopers responding to assist were notified that the suspect had possibly stolen at least two motor vehicles before bailing out.
As you will hear in the following HN Video, as the search unfolded, an officer came over the radio stating he had eyes on the suspect, who was allegedly in the process of entering another vehicle which didn’t belong to him. Additional officers came to assist, converging on a white minivan parked inside the Melpet Farm apartment complex at 812 Route 134, where the male was ultimately taken into custody and eventually transported via ambulance to Cape Cod hospital for an evaluation after complaining about possible injuries sustained during his arrest. Several police officers also accompanied the suspect to the hospital.
It’s uncertain at this point what specific crimes the suspect will be charged with, as officers from both Harwich and Dennis were still working on their lengthy reports at the time of this particular HN report. And as you will hear in the following HN Video, which contains several police radio soundbites, officers were investigating at least two recovered stolen vehicles, a stolen wallet, and an alleged domestic A&B… along with other alleged crimes. A police source said there could be as many as three or four stolen vehicles being investigated when all’s said and done, but that information has not been officially confirmed… or denied. HN called and left messages for the ranking press information officers at both departments and hopefully will be receiving official details as the investigation unfolds… but there is at least one hitch when it comes to information in this case. Because of a relatively new law in Massachusetts, police departments are now restricted from releasing certain details in domestic violence cases until after the actual arraignment… it’s a law some don’t agree with, because in some cases, especially ones where a lunatic might be on the loose, some believe the general public needs to know all the details as soon as possible, especially in those particular cases…
… but as you will see and hear in the following HN Video, this is a very busy caper, involving at least two bordering town police departments, where a male is in custody, with officers talking about stolen vehicles, assault and battery, and larceny… a K9 unit was deployed and multiple police officers were engaged in the entire situation. Needless to say, the entire ordeal raises many questions… with this one question in particular, “Were all the mentioned crimes the result of a one-man crime spree?”
The following HN Video highlights just some moments at just one of the locations that made up last evening’s entire scene – an expansive scene, by the sounds of it – involving many possible victims in the towns of Harwich and Dennis… HN will update these notes with official police details as they become available. (See the latest official updates below, following the HN Video…)
* All alleged suspects are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
[HN VIDEO – PRESS PLAY]
………………
UPDATE ON THE WILD NIGHT OF REPORTED CRIMES IN DENNIS AND HARWICH LAST EVENING…
The following is the most recent official media statement, provided by Lieutenant Peter Benson of the Dennis Police Department:
On Sunday, January 31, 2021 at approximately 7:20 pm Dennis Police officers responded to a residence in South Dennis for a report of a domestic disturbance. On arrival a male subject involved in the incident fled on foot so a search with a Dennis Police K9 was started. While searching it came to the attention of officers that a motor vehicle had been stolen from a residence, also in South Dennis, and was reported to have been seen entering the Town of Harwich. Shortly thereafter officers from Dennis and Harwich located the vehicle which had been stolen from Dennis in a Harwich neighborhood. A search of the Harwich location was started during which officers, who were still at the original incident located in Dennis, reported that the suspect had returned there, allegedly in a vehicle which had been stolen in the Town of Harwich.
The suspect was placed under arrest by Dennis officers and is being charged with the following offenses:
§ Assault and Battery on Family / Household Member
§ Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon
§ Intimidation of a Witness
§ Resisting Arrest
§ Assault and Battery on a Police Officer
§ Larceny of a Motor Vehicle
§ Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended License
§ Receiving Stolen Property + $1200
§ Receiving Stolen Property – $1200, Subsequent Offense
§ Receiving Stolen Property – $1200, Subsequent Offense
The suspect was held on $50,000 cash bail pending his arraignment on Monday, February 1, 2021 in the Orleans District Court.
The suspects identity is being withheld due to the domestic related charges he is facing as well as the ongoing investigation into whether he was involved with the recent vehicle break ins in the towns of Dennis and Harwich.
Also assisting in the investigation were officers from the Harwich Police Department, Brewster Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
As a reminder please be sure to lock your vehicles, and don’t leave any valuables in the car – or in plain sight. If a motion light activates, or your dog suddenly starts barking, please take a look outside. If you see anyone suspicious, please don’t hesitate to call. The DPD will respond and attempt to identify anyone in the area.
…………………..
P.S. – Today’s Hytown Vignette is brought to you by Willie Bobo… [CLICK IT/CRANK IT! AND KEEP WATCHING, WHATEVER YOU DO! 😉 ]














