Four teenagers and one 20-year-old were arrested after a reported shoplifting incident and police pursuit in Medford, Massachusetts, on Thursday.
Medford police say they responded to a report of shoplifting at DICK’s Sporting Goods located at 3850 Mystic Valley Parkway at around 11 a.m.
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Authorities say a store employee provided information about the vehicle, and it was confirmed that the dark gray Kia Sportage had been reported stolen from Belmont earlier Thursday.
According to police, they located and followed the vehicle as it sped onto Commercial Street and then Route 16 westbound to Winthrop Street to High Street until it reached Alto Drive where it crashed through the fence of a home.
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Two teens were initially detained while three others fled, but they were found and arrested shortly after, according to authorities. The charges against the teens are still pending at this time.
There were no injuries reported in the incident.
Justin Bettencourt, 20, of Boston, was charged with receiving stolen motor vehicle and shoplifting by asportation. Four teenagers, including one who investigators believe was driving the car, were also arrested. They were not publicly identified due to their ages.
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Police initially identified all of the people arrested as teenagers but later clarified that Bettencourt is and adult.
The homeowner spoke to NBC10 Boston and says she's feeling fortunate the SUV didn't hit her home.
“Oh my God, it was terrible. It was totally unexpected," said Suzanne Sarno who was at home when the crash happened. "All of a sudden there was like boom and it went through the fence... There's garden beds there that I think that stopped the car, otherwise they would’ve probably tried to keep going.”
“It’s more scary like what if somebody was there? What if something happened you know," she said. "You know, you say you’re lucky for certain things, unfortunate but lucky in other respects.”
