Concord Man Arrested Twice in Two Weeks

A local man will be in court next week after being arrested in the South End in December and in West Concord early New Year’s Day.

Ryan Theriault, 22, of Concord, was arrested at 3:48 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2013, and charged from disorderly conduct and resisting arrest or detention, and again at 4:54 a.m. on Jan. 1, and charged with driving while intoxicated and default or breach of bail conditions.

In the December incident, the reporting officer was called to Monroe and South streets to assist with a motor vehicle stop where a man was reportedly yelling at a woman lying in the road.

When the original officer arrived at the scene, it was reported that both people were inside a 2007 Kia Optima, which had a smashed windshield the size of a basketball. The officer reportedly found a baseball bat in the back seat of the car and Theriault was bleeding from his right hand. A 16-year-old girl was in the car with Theriault, according to the report.

When asked about the smashed windshield, Theriault reportedly told the officer that while outside of a restaurant on South Main Street, he got into a verbal altercation with another person. Theriault reportedly told police he had two beers and allegedly smelled like alcohol, according to the officer, and agreed to take a field sobriety test.

Another officer questioned the teenage girl who reportedly stated that she was at a friend’s house earlier in the evening and Theriault was driving her home. The officer allegedly smelled alcohol on her breath and requested a portable breath test. The test was reportedly for alcohol positive and she was cited for being a minor in possession of alcohol and taken into protective custody. She was in court on Jan. 13.

Officers determined that the car was unsafe to drive due to the windshield being smashed and couldn’t be left on the street since there was a snow emergency underway at the time. The officers determined the car needed to be towed and Theriault was told he was free to leave the scene.

Theriault, however, allegedly told officers that he was leaving in his car. Officers and Theriault went back and forth about the car with Theriault allegedly stating he was not leaving without his car. Since Theriault reportedly wouldn’t leave the scene as ordered, he was arrested.

During the process of cuffing Theriault, he allegedly refused to comply and “continued to struggle and attempted to pull away from myself and (a sergeant),” according to a report.

Eventually, Theriault was cuffed and placed in the cruiser, and allegedly “was screaming in the back of my cruiser” during transport.

After he was placed in his cell at the police station, he allegedly “kicked the cell door several times and again started screaming.”

Theriault was released on $2,000 personal recognizance bail and is due in court on Jan. 27. 

Alleged DWI incident

At a little past 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, an officer was on Via Tranquilla and noticed a gold sedan turnaround at the end of the road and head back south to Little Pond Road. The officer thought it was suspicious for the car to be on that road at that hour of the morning. As the car drove by the officer, it failed to dim its headlights, but the officer could see a couple in the car.

Due to the narrow road and icy conditions, the officer was unable to immediately turn around right away but eventually did, and followed the Kia Optima west on Little Pond Road and onto Thackeray Road. The car was pulled over on Emerson Drive.

“I made contact with the operator and immediately smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath as he spoke,” the officer alleged.

The driver, Theriault, allegedly had slurred speech, glassy, bloodshot eyes that were droopy, and his movements were slow and delayed.

Theriault allegedly had problems handling his wallet but eventually handed the officer his vehicle insurance card, allegedly stating, “Here’s my registration.” When told it was his insurance card, Theriault allegedly said it was his registration.

When asked about his alcohol consumption, Theriault allegedly stated he had two beers at a Boston Bruins game earlier in the evening.

Theriault agreed to some field sobriety tests and was allegedly “unsteady on his feet swaying from side to side,” according to a court document. While taking the tests, Theriault allegedly told the officer he was actually at a friend’s house watching the Bruins game and had consumed a bottle of champagne there.

Theriault agreed to a portable breath test and blew a 0.131 and he was arrested.

According to the report, “Theriault was shown the result to which he responded, ‘damn man I thought would have been .08.’”

Since Theriault was out on bail from the previous arrest, the breach charge was added. He was also cited for failure to dim headlines. Theriault refused bail and was taken to the Merrimack Count House of Correction.

Editor’s note: The following story was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and Concord District Court. It does not indicate a conviction.