On Sunday, at 5:45 p.m., the actions of a Methuen man escalated from a mere nuisance to a criminal offense following a bold incident at a Tewksbury gas station. Arnaldo Gonzalez, 33, is now facing a multitude of charges, including unarmed robbery and breaking and entering, as reported by the Tewksbury Police Department.
Gonzalez made himself comfy in a delivery truck that didn't belong to him. Tewksbury's finest were beckoned to the Petroil gas station at 365 Main St., where they found Gonzalez refusing to ungracefully depart from the truck he had no right to be in. The Tewksbury Police Department noted that the driver had stepped away, and that's when Gonzalez saw an opportunity to pounce.
Adding to the charge sheet, Gonzalez is accused of having lifted a couple of items from the gas station prior to his truck takeover. He allegedly escalated the shoplifting into an unarmed robbery by threatening the clerk, claiming he had a rifle and was ready to use it, according to the police reports, though it turned out no actual firearm was involved or discovered at the scene.
When it came time to slap the cuffs on, Gonzalez reportedly didn't make it easy for the officers, briefly but actively resisting arrest. Despite his non-compliance, the police managed to bring the situation to heel without any injuries, as detailed by Tewksbury Police Department. He's now scheduled to face the music at Lowell District Court on Monday.
