TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Tyngsboro Police said they arrested a man Tuesday who was trying to steal boats on the Merrimack River—while completely naked.
Chief Richard Howe said a 45-year-old Burlington man, whose name is not being released, was issued a summons on charges of malicious destruction of property over $1,200, larceny over $1,200, and furnishing a false ID to law enforcement upon arrest.
The department said they received calls about a suspiciously-behaving nude man near some docked boats off Middlesex Road around 12:33 p.m.
"Upon arrival, officers located the suspect fully nude and attempting to untie a boat from its moorings," a department release said. "When officers approached him, he jumped into the river and swam to a distance where officers could not reach him."
Howe said the man was treading water and would not come back to shore, so the Tyngsborough Fire Department was called in to help retrieve the man using a boat.
"I'm glad that our officers were able to intervene before this suspect was able to successfully leave the scene with a stolen boat," Chief Howe said in the release. "I'm also grateful that nobody was injured as a result of this incident, and for the professional and quick response of the Tyngsborough Fire Department in safely rescuing him from the water."
The man was then taken to Lowell General Hospital in protective custody.
Police say he untied two boats from the dock, damaged the interior of one of them, and then lied about his identity to officers when caught.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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