(This article previously stated that there was an arrest when in fact there was just the summons issued).
The Fall River Police Department reportedly solved an illegal dumping case thanks to the help of FLOCK technology.
According to police, on Monday, August 17th, Fall River Police and Fall River Department of Community Maintenance were notified that a sofa had been left at the intersection of Stetson Street and New Boston Road. Officer William Medeiros of the Environmental Police Unit immediately began investigating.
Surveillance footage obtained showed a pickup truck carrying the sofa in its bed. After stopping on New Boston Road, the truck turned onto Stetson Street and appeared to accelerate, causing the unsecured sofa to fall into the roadway. However, the vehicle’s license plate could not be read from the footage.
Officer Medeiros and Detectives Samuel Chace and Joshua Pelletier reviewed private surveillance footage, interviewed potential witnesses, and used Flock camera evidence to identify the vehicle involved. A FLOCK camera captured the truck with the sofa still aboard approximately 40 minutes before it lost its cargo.
PD stated that the FLOCK evidence coupled with traditional police work and the tenacity of our officers contributed to the swift resolution to this case.
“This case demonstrates the value of Flock technology. Because the license plate was unreadable in the original surveillance footage, the investigation could have quickly reached a dead end. Instead, investigators used Flock evidence to identify the vehicle and successfully resolve the case.”
37-year-old Victoria-Lynn Santos admitted transporting the sofa and believed “only few pieces fell out” when she was turning. She has been summonsed to court for charges related to the incident. The City will also seek restitution for the cost of removing and disposing of it.
FRPD noted that if your couch is bigger than your truck bed, a few straps are much cheaper than a court date. Furniture should be secured not introduced to the neighborhood at 12:40 in the morning.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
