A Dorchester man has been charged with orchestrating high-end car thefts from several Boston parking garages and dragging a police officer who approached one of the vehicles, the Suffolk DA’s office announced Sunday.
“This defendant was clearly drawn to high-end automobiles in parking garages and had no hesitation in stealing them or putting officers’ lives in danger when caught in them,” said DA Kevin Hayden. “Putting all of these events together with the same individual displayed some top-notch detective work.”
Anthony Crumbley, 29, was arraigned in two Boston courts this week and is scheduled to appear in South Boston BMC on a later date related to a series of alleged car thefts in August and September, the DA’s office said. The suspect was ordered held on $10,000 bail.
Crumbley faces charges of several counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony, larceny from a building, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, attaching number plates, malicious destruction of property over $1,200, failure to stop for police, leaving the scene of personal injury, and leaving the scene of property damage.
The series of thefts allegedly began Aug. 20, the DA’s office stated, when a black Mercedes S-Class sedan could be seen on video leaving the Boston Common Garage around 1 p.m. On Aug. 25, a resident reported the car stolen, noting he’d parked the vehicle there days earlier with the key fob inside.
A second victim reported a gray Toyota RAV-4 stolen from the Atlantic Wharf Garage the same day, the report said.
Video footage showed the Toyota exiting the garage just before 9 a.m. that morning, while additional footage showed the Mercedes parked outside the garage, the DA said. The tape shows a person, allegedly Crumbley, exiting the Mercedes and entering the garage towards the Toyota.
On Aug. 26, the Toyota was found by police parked on Washington St. in Jamaica Plain, according to the DA’s office.
On Sept. 8, another car was reported stolen, officials said, this time a black Mercedes-Benz C300 parked in the 1 Seaport Lane Boulevard parking garage.
Police located more security footage, showing the second Mercedes exiting the garage just before 5 a.m.
Officers got a tip on Sept. 11 from the security manager of the Atlantic Wharf garage, who reported the person from the previous robbery on site again, the DA’s office said. The suspect, alleged to be Crumbley, was spotted driving a black Mercedes-Benz C300 and discarding multiple bags in the garage, later retrieved and identified as the car’s owner’s property.
The security officer also told police Crumbley allegedly forcibly entered a secure office and took a Samsung tablet, the DA said. The suspect fled the garage before officers arrived.
Later on Sept. 11, the Mercedes was spotted by police on Woodrow Avenue. The officer approached the vehicle and placed their hand on the mirror, but the driver allegedly reversed and sped up, dragging the cop and injuring their hand, forearm, and leg, the DA’s office reported.
The car allegedly sped off and hit two cars along Blue Hill Ave.
Between Sept. 26 and Oct. 6, the owner of the Mercedes was notified the car was towed, the DA said. Inside the vehicle, the victim found a letter from Manhattan Animal Care Center addressed to Crumbley.
On Sept. 16, a driver identified as Crumbley arrived at the exit gate of 125 High Street garage around 5 p.m. in a gray Range Rover reported stolen. Crumbley allegedly spoke to the parking attendant before speeding through the gate, who then provided police with a description and footage.
Boston Police reportedly found the same Range Rover parked on Norfolk St., which fled as the cops approached “driving onto the sidewalk and nearly colliding with police cruisers,” the DA said. Around 9 p.m. the same say, a resident reported a broken-down Range Rover with flashing headlights.
Crumbley was found driving the vehicle and allegedly told officers a Range Rover belonged to a friend. The cops identified the car as the same one stolen from the 125 High Street garage, and Crumbley was arrested.
The DA’s office said further investigation later tied the suspect to the string of other thefts, including the dragging incident.
Crumbley is scheduled to appear in South Boston BMC on related charges and to return to Central BMC on Jan. 6 and Dorchester BMC on Jan. 8 for pre-trial hearings.
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