Natick Cop Nabs Thief After Chance Traffic Encounter

NATICK, MA — A Natick police officer solved a crime this week thanks to his keen eye.

This week, a road crew hired by the town reported the theft of a telescoping saw, typically used to prune trees high off the ground. Natick officer Michael Mabardy responded to the scene, but wasn't immediately able to find any witnesses or surveillance footage from near where the theft happened.

However, one member of the work crew did provide a description of the thief's vehicle and the trailer that was attached to it.

The next day, Mabardy was driving through Natick when he spotted the vehicle. He pulled the person over and got a quick confession — more importantly, he got the telescoping saw back and returned it to the road crew.

The theft suspect received a summons to appear in court, but police said he admitted his mistake and pledged not to do it again.