It wasn’t a Who down in Whoville who stopped the Grinch in Massachusetts but West Bridgewater Police Officer Brian C. Smith Jr.
A Brockton man broke into multiple cars and stole people’s credit cards throughout the month of December, according to the Stoughton Police Department. He then used one of those cards at a CVS while wearing green Grinch pajamas.
Police released a photo of the man walking into CVS earlier this month.
On Christmas Eve, Stoughton Police obtained an arrest warrant for Elvis Andrade, 32. He was charged with larceny over $1,200, improper use of a credit card over $1,200, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, breaking and entering into a vehicle during the daytime with intent to commit a felony (eight counts), larceny under $1,200 (four counts), improper use of a credit card under $1,200 (two counts) and malicious destruction of property under $1,200, police said.
However, it wasn’t until Sunday that Andrade was arrested.
Smith ran the license plate of a car stopped at a red light and it returned as stolen. He stopped the car at 31 South Main St. and requested backup.
The driver repeatedly refused to provide his real identity, police said. Eventually, police identified the driver as Andrade.
During a search, police located a screwdriver and paperwork in various people’s names, including passports, debit and credit cards and IDs.
He had five active arrest warrants when he was arrested.
Andrade is expected to be arraigned Monday in Brockton District Court.
