A late-night joyride in a stolen dump truck turned into a downtown demolition run in Lewiston on Friday, ending with a police cruiser rammed, a school playground fence shredded and three people from Massachusetts in handcuffs, according to police. One Lewiston officer walked away with a bloody head wound that needed hospital treatment.
How officers closed in
Police say the truck had been reported stolen earlier Friday out of Marlborough, Massachusetts. Not long before 8 p.m., Flock cameras in Lewiston flagged the vehicle as it rolled into the city, according to Boston 25 News. Officers tailed the dump truck into the Bartlett and Walnut street area and tried to pull it over there, police said.
High-speed chaos at Longley School
Instead of surrendering, the driver allegedly chose the hard way out. When officers boxed in the truck, police say the driver deliberately rammed a cruiser, then bolted down Howe Street toward the back of Longley School, as reported by the Bangor Daily News. The wild run ended when the heavy truck crashed through the school’s playground fence and finally gave out, leaving twisted sections of fencing scattered across the yard.
Officers moved in quickly and grabbed three people as they tried to bail out of the disabled truck, according to police.
Who police say was behind the wheel
Police identified the driver as 23-year-old Antonio Moralespijoan of Marlborough. He faces a long list of charges, including reckless conduct, aggravated criminal mischief, refusing to submit to arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, theft by receiving stolen property and theft by unauthorized use of property, according to Boston 25 News.
The passengers were identified as 20-year-old Angelika Almeida of Lawrence and 37-year-old Steven Grossi of Lowell. Both are facing theft and possession charges, and police say Grossi is also charged with refusing to submit to arrest.
Officer hurt, trio suspected in wider crime spree
The officer inside the cruiser that was rammed was not injured, police said. A second officer was not as lucky. He suffered a large cut on the back of his head from the mangled fence and was treated at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, where he received seven staples, the Bangor Daily News reports.
Lewiston police say they believe the three suspects, all from Massachusetts, were in the city to continue a broader crime spree. For now, that run has ended in a wrecked fence, a damaged cruiser and a trio facing a stack of charges.
