On January 3, 2015 at approximately 16:25 hours, while assigned as marked unit Alpha-1, I observed a female later identified as Kathleen Piracini running down Middlesex Ave. I began to follow Piracini on foot when Sports Authority store manager XXXXX contacted me on my department issued cell phone. XXXXX informed me that Piracini was concealing merchandise inside the store and when confronted by store associates dumped the merchandise and ran out of the store. XXXXX stated that he was not sure if she still had any merchandise on her. With this information, I yelled to Piracini to stop running and she did not comply. I began to pursue Piracini on foot as she turned left into the Christmas Tree Shop parking lot and left again onto Middlesex Avenue in the area of the retail loading docks and across the street from Somerville District Court.
I observed Piracini duck behind a truck bed in the loading dock and lost sight of her briefly. She then continued to run down Middlesex Avenue, I shouted for her to stop again to which she did not comply. I caught up to her and placed her into handcuffs without incident. As I was placing Piracini into handcuffs she continually shouted, “I didn’t steal anything!” At this point Officers Messaoudi and Kim arrived to assist.
A search of the bags Piracini was carrying yielded several items from Sports Authority, J. Crew, and other items with tags on them but from an unknown location. When asked if she could provide a receipt for the property Piracini was unable to. During a search of the immediate area of the arrest, Officer Kim and I recovered a pair of gloves and a hat with Sports Authority tags on them near the truck in the loading dock where I had briefly lost sight of her. A query of Piracini in CJIS Web also showed her to have one active warrant for her arrest. Unit #200 operated by Officer Ducasse was contacted and transported Piracini back to the Somerville Police Department where she was booked by Lt. Digregorio.
During a follow-up at Sports Authority, I was given more information in regards to the theft by Store Manager XXXXX. XXXXX stated that he observed Piracini concealing items in her bags and on her person and he began to follow her around. He believes Piracini may have became aware that she was being followed and she went into the bathroom. XXXXX and another associate then knocked on the bathroom door and opened it and observed Piracini stuffing numerous items into the trash barrel in the bathroom. The total of this merchandise is $207.11. At this point XXXXX began to escort Piracini to the front of the store and advised her that she was no longer allowed in Sports Authority. As he began to ask her if she had any more merchandise on her she ran out of the store. The total value of the additional merchandise that was recovered after her arrest is $111.47. For the theft from Sports Authority, which totals $324.58, Piracini is charged with violation of M.G.L. ch. 266 §30 Larceny over $250.00.
A follow-up at J. Crew by Officer Messaoudi confirmed that the J. Crew merchandise in Piracini’s possession was stolen from that location. Store Manager YYYYY confirmed the merchandise as stolen and provided a receipt of $168.07. For this, Piracini is being charged with violation of M.G.L. ch. 266 §60 Receiving stolen property less than $250.00.
Respectfully submitted,
Officer Anderson #315