Crime & Safety
Former Mass. Cop Arrested on Stolen NH Test Drive Pickup Truck Rap
Breaking: Derek Guthro, a former Melrose Police officer, was allegedly ID'd by his former colleagues; was arrested in Nashua yesterday.
MANCHESTER, NH — A New Hampshire man who allegedly impersonated a police officer in order to test drive a pickup truck – in an alleged attempt to steal it – has been found after his former co-workers in Massachusetts recognized him from security photos from the dealership, according to police. Derek Guthro, 46, of Concord Street in Nashua, was arrested on Dec. 22, 2016, for theft by unauthorized taking and one count of false impersonation, both felonies.
Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Manchester Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.
On Dec. 19, police were sent to Team Nissan on Keller Street in Manchester for a report of a stolen vehicle. An employee at the dealership reported that a man posing as a police officer came into to test drive a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. He reportedly did not give identification but flashed a badge instead, giving a false name. The man was also wearing a Mass. State Police windbreaker claiming lived in Merrimack.
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When the suspect failed to return with the truck, the dealership called police and a media alert was sent out in an attempt to identify the perp.
The officer assigned to the investigation received a call after the media alert from the Melrose Police Department after “several sworn officers” identified the suspect as Guthro, a former Melrose Police officer. Mass. State Police provided the last known address to police and the investigating officer contacted Nashua Police to see if they could find him. Nashua Police found the around 3:30 p.m. and Guthro at just before 5 p.m., according to Sgt. Richard Brown of the Manchester Police Department.
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“Nashua Police located the stolen Silverado in the parking lot at Margarita’s in Nashua, just a short distance from the Concord St address,” Brown stated. “They then located Guthro at Concord St and he was taken into custody a short time later.”
Guthro was released on person recognizance bail and is due in court on Jan. 20, 2017.
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