Quincy, Massachusetts is grappling with a string of car thefts targeting pizza delivery drivers, incidents that involve placing fake orders to lure the workers into a trap. According to NBC Boston, the most recent case occurred late Sunday night when a driver for Mama Bear’s Kitchen, named Paul Bates, was ambushed while delivering pizza to an address on Southern Artery.
Bates recounted the event that unfolded at around 11 p.m., saying, "I knocked on the door and there was no answer. I happened to hear something, I turn to my right, and I see two individuals, all blacked out in black sweatshirts, black sweatpants, black sneakers, surgical mask -- the COVID surgical mask -- hoods on, and they ran towards the vehicle," Bates told NBC Boston. Regrettably, before he could react, the thieves had taken off with his vehicle.
Another similar theft took place in the area of Hancock and Berlin streets, prompting authorities to intensify their investigation into these calculated crimes. The suspects seem to orchestrate the thefts by placing bogus pizza orders and, when the delivery driver arrives and steps out of the car, they seize their opportunity to steal the unattended vehicle.
A resident of the home used for the fraudulent Berlin Street delivery described what she observed, unaware at the time that her address was being used as part of a scheme. "They ordered pizza using this address, and when the pizza guy came, he stopped there. Guy supposedly said he had to get his money. In the meantime, someone jumped out on that side and jumped into the car," the woman relayed to WCVB. Unfortunately, her description aligns eerily with the tactics described in the other thefts.
The trend of these thefts is alarming, especially considering a similar series of events that occurred a year prior, where pizza delivery drivers in Worcester were robbed at gunpoint. The Quincy Police Department is urging anyone with information to come forward and assist by calling their non-emergency line at 617-479-1212. Meanwhile, the vehicles involved in the Quincy cases have been located, and two individuals allegedly connected to the Sunday incident have been apprehended, as noted by Bates, although the police have not yet confirmed these arrests.
