A man has been arrested in New Jersey after allegedly stealing a Range Rover from a gas station in Reading, Massachusetts. According to the Reading Massachusetts Police Department's social media post, the incident, which occurred yesterday evening, began when the suspect, driving a previously stolen blue Chevrolet Malibu, pulled up next to the victim at the Shell station located at 110 Main St.
After abandoning the Malibu, the suspect seized the moment, taking advantage of the vehicle unattended on the driver's side, he entered the black 2022 Range Rover Sport, striking the victim in his escape. While pumping gas, the 49-year-old Reading man clung to his vehicle's mirror but was tragically dragged approximately 20 feet as the car thief made his getaway. The victim was subsequently transported to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center with injuries, the extent of which remain unknown.
Local authorities quickly responded to the incident and now the Range Rover, with Massachusetts plates 4JGX91, has been found after the suspect fled beyond state lines. Described as a white male in his 30s, wearing a maroon-colored T-shirt and sporting a scruffy five o'clock shadow with medium-length brown hair, the suspect had become a focal point of law enforcement efforts across several states.
The Chevrolet Malibu, reported stolen out of Maine, was left behind and later towed for processing by the Reading Police. In their efforts to obtain additional evidence, they are also working to secure surveillance video. "The suspect in this investigation was safely taken into custody in New Jersey," read the statement from the police department, without offering a moment's respite for its community, beleaguered by the sudden flash of crime.
Authorities continue their investigation and urge anyone who may have information related to this incident to contact the Reading Police Department’s nonemergency line at 781-944-1212. The arrest in New Jersey marks an end to a vehicular snatch-and-drag that escalated from a gas station larceny to a multi-state police pursuit.
