Authorities are looking to charge a Kingston resident who they believe has been intentionally putting large rocks in the middle of a busy road, damaging at least 11 cars in the process since winter.
The rocks, which often weighed between 15 and 50 pounds, had been placed on Pembroke Street (Route 27) near Reed Street in Kingston since February, Kingston police said on Facebook. The rocks also appeared while it was dark, leading police to believe they were put there on purpose.
“This portion of the road, spanning less than 1/2 mile, is heavily wooded and dark with no residences abutting the roadway,” Kingston police said. “It became apparent someone was maliciously placing these rocks on the road to cause damage to vehicles.”
The rocks caused multiple cars to have their undercarriages ripped out, fuel spilled and even deploy their airbags, police said. Oftentimes drivers did not call police right away and found the damage later on. This resulted in most drivers paying for the damages on their own or through insurance, police said.
After months of investigating, a Kingston police detective camped out in the woods in full camouflage Monday night to catch the suspect.
While hiding in the woods, the detective watched a vehicle stop, open its trunk and saw a rock placed in the middle of the road before the car drove off. The vehicle then pulled onto Reed Street, according to police.
Investigators approached the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Cameron Currier, on his porch about 10 minutes later. Currier’s home was also one of a few in the area where he can witness the crashes, police added.
While Currier admitted to driving the same vehicle and just getting home, he denied stopping on Pembroke Street, police said. However, investigators noticed enough inconsistencies in his story to gather probable cause and arrest him.
Currier appeared in Plymouth District Court on 11 counts of malicious damage to a motor vehicle and nine counts of attempting to commit malicious damage to a motor vehicle, NBC10 Boston reported. The 31-year-old was ordered held on $1,500 bail and told to stay away from victims in the case, the outlet added.
The Kingston Police Department is also asking anyone who hit a rock on Route 27 near Reed Street since February to call Det. Lt. Michael Skowyra at 781-585-0523 ext. 6662.
