YARMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS – Shortly before midnight last evening, Yarmouth police and firefighters responded to the Wendy’s parking lot after a woman drove there with a man who said his throat had been cut with a machete. The woman had picked the man up on South Yarmouth Road in the vicinity of Captain Preston’s Road, a short distance across the town line in Dennis.

The victim suffered a laceration to his neck and was conscious when responders arrived. The injury was serious but not believed to be life-threatening (although it easily could have been, according to sources).

The woman who picked him up said she had no idea where the man had been injured. She directed officers to the area where she had picked up the wounded man but could not provide the precise location of the incident. It remains unclear whether she knew the victim or had just met him when she stopped to help.

Detectives and officers continued their investigation at Cape Cod Hospital. A member of the sheriff’s crime scene unit responded to document evidence, including blood-stained clothing and the victim’s injuries.

The following is Hyannis News video from the scene outside the Wendy’s restaurant in Yarmouth. HN will provide official updates as they become available.

[HN Video – Press play]

ADDITIONAL HN PHOTOS:

ABOVE: Officials are investigating what caused a pickup truck to burst into flames at an address on Sea Street in Hyannis early this morning, around 3:00 a.m.

ABOVE: Officials are investigating what caused a young man to lose control and crash his car into a construction sign and utility pole on Bearses Way earlier in the week. The young man was transported to Cape Cod Hospital for evaluation.

ABOVE: Officials are investigating what was initially thought to be a hit-and-run crash earlier in the week. However, the driver returned to the scene and was transported to Cape Cod Hospital, reportedly suffering some type of medical emergency. The Barnstable Police Department is investigating.

ABOVE: A Barnstable Police sergeant speaks with store detectives outside of a Hyannis department store after a local woman allegedly attempted to steal some sort of household appliance. Shoplifting in Hyannis is a daily issue. The woman failed in her alleged theft attempt and was trespassed from the establishment for a period of one year.

As of 2026, and according to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 266, Section 30A (M.G.L. c. 266, § 30A), shoplifting in Massachusetts is STILL against the law!

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 266, Section 30A specifically criminalizes shoplifting. It defines the offense as:

Any person who intentionally:

• Takes possession of, carries away, transfers, or causes to be carried away or transferred any merchandise displayed, held, stored, or offered for sale by a store or retail establishment, with the intention of depriving the merchant of the possession, use, or benefit of the merchandise without paying for it; or
• Alters, transfers, or removes a label, price tag, or marking on merchandise with the intent to obtain it for less than its full retail value; or
• Transfers merchandise from one container to another with the intent to deprive the merchant of its full value; or
• Removes a shopping cart from the premises without consent and with intent to permanently deprive the merchant of it.

Penalties (as of the current statute):

• If the retail value is less than $250:
  • First offense: Fine up to $250.
  • Second offense: Fine of $100–$500.
  • Third or subsequent offense: Fine up to $500, or imprisonment in jail for up to 2 years, or both.
• If the retail value is $250 or more: Fine up to $1,000, or imprisonment in the house of correction for up to 2½ years, or both.

The law also explicitly authorizes law enforcement to arrest without a warrant if there is probable cause to believe the offense has been committed.

P.S. – Today’s Hytown Vignette is brought to you by David Bowie…

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