Tiverton Police arrest Fall River teen on warrants in string of break-ins

Tiverton Police recently arrested a Fall River teen on warrants involving a string of break-ins from last year.

According to Tiverton Police Captain Michael Miguel, on September 12, 2021, at approximately 2:20 a.m., officers responded to a report of suspicious activity in the area of Bourne Avenue. A witness stated there was a suspicious male in a white hooded sweatshirt walking down Bourne Avenue, possibly breaking into cars. At that time there were ongoing reports of car breaks in the area.

Officers checked the area and surrounding neighborhoods but were unable to locate the suspect. Around the same time, Lt. Christopher Dyson conducted a motor vehicle stop. The vehicle was stopped just over the MA state line on South Main Street, in Fall River. The vehicle initially failed to stop in Tiverton. Once it did stop in Fall River, all of the occupants of the vehicle attempted to exit. Fall River Police responded to the location to assist. Officers observed that the front passenger of the vehicle was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and matched the description of the suspicious male on Bourne Ave. Officers further observed a black backpack in the rear of the vehicle with several patches on it. Officers noted that the backpack matched the description of a reported stolen backpack from a vehicle in Tiverton.

Fall River Police Officer’s placed the operator of the vehicle, 19-year-old Damien Melendez, of Fall River, as well as the backseat passenger, a 16-year-old male from Fall River MA, under arrest for active warrants they had in MA. Fall River Police advised Tiverton Officers that the black backpack had items to include medications and mail addressed to a resident of John Duggan Road in Tiverton. Other items were located in the vehicle linking the occupants of the vehicle to multiple vehicle break-ins in Tiverton.

A subsequent investigation over the next several days, including review of video surveillance footage, identified a 17-year-old male from New Bedford MA as another suspect in multiple vehicle break-ins.

Arrest warrants were issued for Damien Melendez, who was arrested by Tiverton Police late last month, as well as the two juvenile males.