Citizen's Call Leads to OUI, Stolen Car Charges in Hingham

HINGHAM, MA — A Jamaica Plain man is facing an OUI and theft charges after he was found at the Derby Street Shoppes slumped over the wheel of a vehicle, police said.

Eric M. Stuart, 49, was arrested Tuesday and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol (third offense), receiving a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest, operating with a suspended license (subsequent offense), and possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, according to the Hingham Police Department.

At about 4:18 p.m., police responded to a call at the Panera Bread at the shopping center for a report of a driver who was slumped over the steering wheel with the engine running. Police say officers attempted to wake the driver, identified as Stuart, by banging several times on the window. Eventually, the driver lifted his head and opened his eyes.

When Stuart opened the window, police smelled an order of alcohol inside the vehicle and noted that his eyes were glassy. Police found a bottle of vodka between the driver's seat and the center console.

Stuart allegedly admitted to police that he hasn't held a valid license for years and did not know who owned the car. He later admitted that the car was stolen, with Boston police confirming that it was stolen at Tufts Medical Center and involved in a hit and run.

The stolen car’s front end, driver’s side, and interior glove box lock had fresh damage, police said.

He eventually turned the vehicle's engine off but refused to step out of the car. Police say they had to physically remove Stuart from the car and he continued to resist.

Once outside the car, Stuart was handcuffed and placed in a cruiser. Inside, he allegedly attempted to kick out the side windows.

Stuart was previously arrested for OUIs in Peabody in 1997 and Barnstable in 1994. His license was suspended for five years in August due to a breath test refusal. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing a GPS bracelet as part of the terms of release for another drunken driving case from August 2016 in Bourne.

He was arraigned Wednesday in Hingham District Court and was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail by Judge Neil Hourihan. He is due to back in court on March 24.

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