Two 17-year-old boys have been arrested in Springfield after a chaotic overnight stretch that began with an attempted break-in at an apartment and ended with a car-break-in spree that hit seven vehicles on the same block. Police say the teens were eventually tracked down and detained about 1 hour and 35 minutes after the initial report, though their names have not been released because of their ages.
The trouble started just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday, when police responded to Rutledge Avenue after a victim reported that two people had tried to break into his apartment, with one of them possibly armed, according to Western Mass News. The pair fled the scene before officers arrived, the outlet reported, leaving investigators to piece together what happened next from surveillance footage and a separate call for help across town.
Seven Cars Targeted on East Columbus Avenue
Not long after the Rutledge Avenue report, police received word of attempted break-ins on the 800 block of East Columbus Avenue. Video showed two suspects attempting to break into seven different vehicles, according to the same report, successfully gaining entry into one of them. The teens allegedly made off with a wallet from inside that car, per the outlet's account.
The search for the pair didn't take long once state troopers got involved.
Troopers Make the Arrest Near Main and Norwood
Around 3:10 a.m., Massachusetts State Police troopers in the area spotted the suspects and detained them near the intersection of Main Street and Norwood Street, according to MassLive. That account echoes the same footage described in the Rutledge Avenue and East Columbus Avenue incidents, noting that the camera recordings showed the pair trying to break into seven vehicles and succeeding with one.
Police have declined to identify either 17-year-old, citing their ages, the outlet's report notes. Cases involving juvenile suspects in Springfield typically fall under the jurisdiction of the Hampden County Juvenile Court, which handles matters for Springfield along with Agawam, Chicopee, Longmeadow and West Springfield.
Beyond the arrests themselves, key details remain unconfirmed in the public record, including what charges the teens may face, whether either was actually found to be armed, and the suspects' names or any statements from their families. For now, residents on Rutledge Avenue and East Columbus Avenue are left with a tense early-morning scare and a reminder to check their car doors before heading to bed.
