acton

3 Teens Arrested After Stealing Dump Truck, Leading Police on Chase

The vehicle had been stolen from a landscaping company in Natick

Acton Police

Three teens are facing charges after they allegedly stole a dump truck and led police on a multiple-town chase Thursday morning.

Acton police said that one of their officers saw a Ford F350 dump truck with an expired inspection sticker while observing traffic on Great Road around 10:17 a.m. Thursday and attempted to stop the vehicle. The dump truck stopped just over the Concord town line in the area of Shaw Farm Road, but as the officer walked toward the vehicle, the dump truck began moving and fled in the direction of the Concord Rotary, passing several other vehicles and repeatedly crossing the double yellow line.

In the area of the rotary, one person got out of the truck and began running as the truck briefly stopped. The truck continued onto Route 2 west, and the Acton officer ended the pursuit due to safety concerns. After running the truck's license plate, police were able to determine that it had been reported stolen by a landscaping company in Natick.

A short time later, Acton police said one of their sergeants spotted the dump truck on Main Street, and it stopped when he activated his cruiser's lights and sirens.

The driver and another person inside the truck -- both 17-year-old boys from Framingham -- were taken into custody. The person who fled from the dump truck near the Concord Rotary earlier, later identified as Christopher De Brito, 18, of Framingham, was also located and taken into custody.

The driver, whose name was not released by police because he is under 18, is charged with larceny of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, carrying a dangerous weapon, unlicensed operation and a marked lanes violation. The other 17-year-old is charge with larceny of a motor vehicle. De Brito is charged with larceny of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.

The 17-year-old were arraigned Thursday in Framingham Juvenile Court, and De Brito was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Concord District Court.

The stolen dump truck was returned to its owner, Acton police said.

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