$2,000 in Stolen Merchandise, Rental Car, Leads to NY Trio's Arrest in Natick

NATICK, MA - Three from New York are facing theft charges after the group was stopped in a stolen rental car, allegedly after stealing $2,000 worth of merchandise from Natick stores.

Karina Porras, JeanPierre Tobon and Nolan Lopez, all from New York, were arrested and charged with receiving stolen property.

The trio was stopped Saturday around 5 p.m. in Natick with the merchandise in their car, none of which they would claim. The three remained detained at the Natick police station until they were brought to court on Monday morning.

While it is not clear if the three are part of any organized retail crime, Natick police did say that similar crimes are increasingly popular in Massachusetts, particularly Natick.

Typically, say police, the groups come out of New York to Massachusetts, rent hotel rooms in Natick, and then steal as much as they can for several days and head back to New York. The goods are sold to a “fence” with a storefront, or those selling by word of mouth out of vans or cars.

“We have worked with several State and Federal agencies to try to combat this type of theft at the [Natick] Mall,” said Lt. Cara Rossi-Caferlli, “even securing grants to hire overtime officers to saturate the mall during what is believed to be the most likely days/times for this behavior.”

Photos via Natick Police Department

Photo 1: JeanPierre Tobon

Photo 2: Karina Porras

Photo 3: Nolan Lopez