MA Fugitive of 19 Years Arrested in Traffic Stop

A Lawrence man who had been on the run for almost two decades after allegedly holding up a family at knife-point was arrested Saturday afternoon, according to Boxborough Police Chief Warren B. Ryder.

Jose Manuel Blanco-Dominguez, 57, was arrested by Sgt. Brett Pelley at approximately 7:45 a.m. on a motor vehicle stop on Mass Ave. in Boxborough. Pelley stopped Blanco-Dominguez after the vehicle's registration plate check suggested a potential NCIC warrant. Blanco-Dominguez attempted to hide is identity by providing an alias.

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Blanco-Dominguez has been on the run since June 25, 1997. On that day, Blanco-Dominguez was allegedly among four masked men who police say held a family at knife-point at their Connecticut home. Three of the suspects were arrested after a 30-minute standoff with police, but authorities say the fourth man, who escaped by jumping out of a window and running into the woods, was Blanco-Dominguez.

Blanco-Dominguez is being charged as a fugitive from justice on a court warrant. He is being held without bail.

"Today's arrest is a fine example of outstanding police work by the Boxborough Police Department," Ryder said in a statement. "A less experienced officer may have mistaken the suspect's alias as valid, but thanks to the smart detective work by a seasoned law enforcement veteran like Sgt. Pelley, we were able to take this dangerous individual into custody."

Photo courtesy of Boxborough Police