SHREWSBURY — At 9:13 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, Shrewsbury Police Lieutenant Michael Vitols was driving north on Barnard Street when he spotted a man walking with a backpack and several items, including a large white bucket.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Statement of Facts of Officer Vitols and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“The individual appeared disheveled, dropping items as he walked,” Lt. Vitols said. “I pulled over to speak with the subject, who was holding a large white bucket and several ceramic pots typically used for plants.”
Lt. Vitols said that when he made contact with the individual – who was later identified as William Puzo – he immediately noticed a significant amount of copper wire protruding from his backpack.
According to police, William Puzo, 34, is a resident of 11 Rawson Hill Drive, Shrewsbury, MA.
“Based on my training and experience, I recognized this copper wire as the type commonly used in main service feeds for residential homes,” Lt. Vitols said. “Aware that copper wire is frequently stolen from homes and sold for scrap, I inquired further about the items he was carrying. Puzo admitted that he regularly scraps copper at F & D [Salvage Inc.] in Worcester and another scrapyard in Millbury for monetary compensation. He was well-informed on the current scrap rates for copper, which he recited to me without hesitation.”
Lt. Vitols reported that when he asked Puzo about his whereabouts prior to the encounter, Puzo responded that he had arrived by bus from the Grove Street area in Worcester.
“Officer Tyler Vlass arrived shortly thereafter to assist,” Lt. Vitols said. “Based on the suspicious circumstances and the apparent stolen property, I informed Puzo that I would be conducting a search of his person and belongings. Before proceeding, Puzo stated that he had several syringes on his person.”
During the search, Lt. Vitols reported finding the following items in Puzo’s right pocket:
- An orange cap for a hypodermic needle
- A small, folded piece of tin foil
- “A small vial containing a white residue, which I recognized as consistent with illegal narcotics,” Lt. Vitols stated. Adding, “(During a conversation in booking, Puzo confirmed the substance in the vial was methamphetamine, a Class B controlled substance.)”
Additionally, Lt. Vitols noted:
- “In the white bucket, I found a large quantity of 14-gauge shielded copper wire, which I identified as the type used in both commercial and residential electrical systems.”
Inside Puzo’s backpack, Lt. Vitols discovered the following tools, which he said are “typically used to cut and remove wire from structures”:
- Three pairs of pliers
- Two wire cutters
- One flat bar
- One pry bar
- One screwdriver
- One copper pipe cutter
“Further inspection of Puzo’s wallet revealed a Visa credit card bearing the name ‘Queen Shaw’ and a blank check belonging to a male individual from Pennsylvania,” Lt. Vitols added. “Additionally, I found a small glassine baggie with residue. When I questioned Puzo about these items, he claimed he had ‘found them’ but was unable to provide a plausible explanation for their presence in his possession.”
Lt. Vitols noted that Puzo admitted to using heroin about two days earlier and mentioned that he frequently smokes methamphetamine.
“His backpack contained several drug paraphernalia items, including an elastic tourniquet, syringes, small cylindrical tin containers, cotton balls, and knotted glassine baggies,” Lt. Vitols said.
Lt. Vitols reported that Puzo was arrested and taken to the Shrewsbury Police Department by Officer Vlass without any issues.
Lt. Vitols stated that based on the facts and circumstances, including the presence of copper wire, burglarious tools, and the credit card and check that did not belong to him, he charged Puzo with the following:
- Credit Card, Receiving Stolen Property
- Possession of Burglarious Instruments
- Receiving Stolen Property under $1,200 (Copper Wire)
- Receiving Stolen Property under $1,200 (Check)
- Possession of a Class B Substance (Methamphetamine)
Puzo was arraigned in Westborough District Court on Oct. 2, 2024. Following his arraignment, he was released on his own personal recognizance.
Puzo’s next court date is a pretrial hearing scheduled for Dec. 12, 2024.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from October, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
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How is copper wire in a backpack Reasonable suspicion he stole it?? No probable cause to even speak to the guy. Even a public defender will get him off!