A man is facing charges after police say he intentionally dumped thousands of construction screws along a busy Massachusetts road, causing damage to the tires of many vehicles.
Peter Vasconcellos, 56, of Freetown, was arrested Tuesday on charges including operating a vehicle after their license was revoked, operating a vehicle with a revoked registration, and uninsured operation, according to the Freetown Police Department.
Over the past couple of weeks, Vasconcellos allegedly placed the screws along a well-traveled section of South Main Street in Freetown’s Assonet Village. Officers first learned of the problem after a repair shop reported an abnormal uptick in customers with flat tires.
“As a result, vehicles traveling along this section have sustained damaged tires and the town’s highway department has spent a great deal of time removing screws from the roadway,” the department said in a news release.
Charles Macomber, a surveyor with the Freetown Highway Department, said his crew would routinely sweep the roadway at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. during the weekslong stretch.
“Every time we would come up with screws,” Macomber said.
A search of Vasconcellos’ vehicle yielded screws in a driver’s door compartment and an open box of screws behind the center console, according to police.
“The screws are identical to those recovered from the roadway,” police said.
Police also noted that Vasconcellos lives along the stretch of road where crews found all of the screws.
Anyone whose vehicle was damaged while driving along South Main Street is urged to contact Detectives Patrick Lee or Kelley at 508-763-4017.
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