South End Traffic Stop Leads to Stolen Car, Drug Charges

A Concord man is facing an array of theft and drug charges including stealing a rental car.

Timothy R. Murray, 29, of Concord, was arrested at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 17, and charged with possession of controlled drugs, a felony, two receiving stolen property charges, one of them a felony, and default or breach of bail conditions.

According to Concord Police Department arrest reports, officers on Pleasant Street reportedly saw two men get into a 2011 Kia Optima on Pleasant Street and later, head towards Main Street. As the vehicle rolled up to the red light at Pleasant and South Main streets, the Optima allegedly made a right hand turn while there was a red light, a violation.

The officers continued to follow the Optima as it allegedly drove about 20 mph down South Main Street, onto Concord Street, while stopping at South State Street. The vehicle made a right turn onto South State Street and then a left onto Thompson Street. The officer turned on his emergency lights to pull the vehicle over and it reportedly took a right on Chesley Street and then allegedly drove into a snow bank.

The officer spoke to the driver who, at first, allegedly gave a false name, and allegedly stated that he didn’t know who the car belonged to. The driver also allegedly stated that he didn’t have a license. The driver allegedly told the officer that he had been drinking at Penuche’s.

As the officer was speaking with the driver, later identified as Murray, he allegedly observed a sealed a can of beer in a cup holder. As Murray was about to be given a field sobriety test, dispatch informed the officers that the Optima was reported stolen.

Murray was immediately taken into custody.

During a pat down, Murray’s real ID was found revealing that he had not given his correct name. The officer attempted to talk to Murray about the fake name and realized that Murray allegedly had a piece of paper in his mouth. “Inside the paper was a suboxene strip that was partially dissolved,” the officer alleged.

A yellow teaspoon and a used syringe were also allegedly found in his pocket.

On the floor of the vehicle, officers found other license plates that were allegedly stolen from another Concord vehicle a few hours before.

Murray refused bail and was arraigned on Feb. 19.

The car, it turned out, was owned by Enterprise Car Rental, which consented to a thorough search of the vehicle.

A couple of weeks later, Murray was arrested again, and charged with two counts of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer from BAM! on Fort Eddy Road on Feb. 7, two counts of receiving stolen property from the Hannaford on Fort Eddy Road on Feb. 7, and four receiving stolen property charges from Rite Aid on Fort Eddy Road on Feb. 7.

The BAM! Incident allegedly involved stolen keys from an Allenstown woman. The Hannaford incident allegedly involved $21 in cash and a $50 T-Bone/CJ’s gift certificate owned by a Concord woman who was a stranger. The Rite Aid charge involved $13 in cash, a $25 gift card, and various credit cards and IDs. 

Previously, Murray has been arrested on theft and drug charges in 2013 and 2012.