carjacking

Man Charged in Attempted Carjacking of Amazon Vehicle in Malden

An Amazon driver chased Michael Cunha, accused of trying to carjack his vehicle in Malden, Massachusetts; other people nearby attempted to stop him and buy time for police to arrive

NBC Universal, Inc.

A Somerville man accused of trying to carjack an Amazon delivery truck in Malden, Massachusetts, is facing criminal charges.

The victim, an Amazon driver, was caught on surveillance video chasing after 42-year-old Michael Cunha.

"Stay right there. Stay right there!" the driver is heard on the recording saying.

The scene unfolded in a parking lot behind a commercial plaza near Main Street and Bickford Road around 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Amazon driver and other witnesses made several attempts to stop Cuhna, buying enough time for police to arrive.

Yosef Tesfaye, owner of Habesha, an Ethiopian restaurant, first saw the suspect sneak up to the back door of his shop.

"I asked him why he tried opening the store and he said, 'I was looking for a cop' and I knew he lied because the Amazon guy was running towards him and he said, 'a thief, he tried to steal my car," said Tesfaye.

Tesfaye and others at the scene try to keep the suspect from fleeing, but Cunha managed to escape from the group.

Anthony DiFrancesco was watching from across the street.

"The cops were chasing them, kind of just pointing at them, not really doing too much," he said. "But then I guess he hopped a fence and four other cruisers pulled up, and they were searching the whole area."

Cunha was found eventually and taken into police custody.

It was a scary moment for Tesfaye, but said he was glad he was able to help.

"That can happen to anybody," he noted. "So we have to help each other."

Amazon told NBC10 Boston in a statement that the company is thankful the driver is safe and unharmed, adding that it will continue to work with police during their investigation.

Contact Us