LEOMISNTER — On Monday, September 8, 2025, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Officer Kyle Klimowicz of the Leominster Police Department was at UMass Memorial Hospital in Leominster on prisoner watch when he was approached by a nurse who said that a man had just come in for treatment stating he was run over and dragged by a vehicle in the JCPenney parking lot and that he needed an officer.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Kyle Klimowicz and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“Note that moments earlier, I had heard a dispatch for officers to respond to the JC Penny parking lot regarding some sort of disturbance with a male party reportedly jumping into another party’s vehicle,” Officer Klimowicz said.
Officer Klimowicz stated that Officers Mackenson Adescar and Renzo Vasconcelos were unable to locate the reported truck or any other vehicle involved because the license plate provided by the reporting party was incorrect and did not return any results.
“Note that the JCPenney parking lot is alongside 100 Commercial Road in the City of Leominster,” Officer Klimowicz said. “Commercial Road is dedicated to public use, and the adjacent parking lots to the stores at the mall, serve as a public right of access.”
Officer Klimowicz stated that he spoke with Dean [last and middle names redacted] in emergency room two at the hospital, who reported that he had been struck by a car and dragged underneath it, moments earlier during an incident in the JCPenney parking lot.
“At first encounter, Dean appeared frantic, stating that the operator cut his wheel 45 degrees and drove directly towards him while he was standing 10-15 feet away. He further added that the vehicle drove at 40-50mph while he held on to the driver’s side window frame and got dragged underneath,” Officer Klimowicz said.
Dean added that he lost his grip from the driver’s side of the vehicle and fell to the ground, where he rolled over beside the median to avoid being struck by the vehicle again, which he noted had circled the lot and was driving toward him in an attempt to hit him again.
“Dean’s apparent injuries included cuts to his elbows, knees and arms, a gash on his right hand, and reported road rash down his back,” Officer Klimowicz said. “On numerous occasions he stated that ‘his vertebrae were loose’ and that he was losing feeling in his back. Hospital staff were tending to his injuries and preparing to take CT scans of him to assess any serious back/spine/internal bleeding injuries.”
Dean noted that he was with his friend Ross [last name redacted] in his truck, a grey GMC Sierra, and that they encountered a man in the JCPenney parking lot, who Ross allegedly owed money to, but has since paid back.
“That male party was identified by Dean, as Matthew Owens,” Officer Klimowicz said.
“He described Matthew to be approximately 30-32 years of age, homeless, and usually parked in the mall parking lot,” Officer Klimowicz said. “Dean described the vehicle Matthew was driving, to be a silver or white Cadillac SUV. Dean described Matthew as a white male with a full but trimmed beard and short, crew-cut-styled brown hair. He affirmed he did not know Matthew, but that Ross made him aware that there was a dispute between them about still owing him money or having paid it already.”
According to police, Matthew R. Owens, 42, is a resident of Fitchburg, MA.
Officer Klimowicz stated that he asked Dean how they had come across Matthew in the JCPenney parking lot and Dean explained that Ross had given an unidentified female a ride to the mall. After arriving, she met with Matthew in the JCPenney parking lot and contacted Ross, telling him there was still an outstanding debt between him and Matthew.
Officer Klimowicz stated that Dean said he offered to act as a middleman between Ross and Matthew during the encounter.
“On numerous occasions, Dean stated that he was 10-15 feet away from Matthew’s driver side window, telling him that Ross had already paid him back,” Officer Klimowicz said. “He reported that Matthew then ‘cut the wheel 45 degrees towards him’ and hit the gas, striking Dean with his vehicle. Dean reiterated how he held onto the car and was dragged under it, adding that he ‘held onto something on the bottom of it,’ but let go when the vehicle continued to rapidly accelerate towards the median. Dean stated that he heard the door and looked up to see Ross putting him in his vehicle, to be brought to the hospital, where Ross then dropped him off and left. I collected Ross’ and Matthew’s information from Dean including their respective vehicles, ages, addresses, known locations they stay at, phone numbers, etc.”
Officer Klimowicz then conducted a search of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) database for Matthew Owens and discovered that a gray 2010 Cadillac SRX SUV was registered in his name. A query check of Ross [last name redacted] showed that he has a 2002 grey GMC Sierra registered in his name.
“I met with Sgt. [John] Bouchard to check the area around the JCPenney parking lot facing Home Depot where Dean reported the incident to have occurred,” Officer Klimowicz said. “From Sgt. Bouchard’s department issued phone, I attempted to contact Ross at the phone number provided by Dean. Ross’ phone went directly to voicemail, to which I left a message advising him to contact LPD [the Leominster Police Department] immediately regarding this incident.”
Officer Klimowicz and Sgt. Bouchard then searched the surrounding parking lots and located a silver Cadillac SUV with Massachusetts plates parked beside a shipping container near the Burlington Coat Factory.
“I queried the vehicle’s registration which came back to Matthew Owens, the suspected operator at the time of the Leaving the Scene of Personal Injury, and Assault and Battery Dangerous Weapon (vehicle) based on Dean’s statements and reported injuries,” Officer Klimowicz said. “I observed a male party walking his dog by the vehicle and called Sgt. Bouchard requesting he respond to my location. The male party appeared to unlock his vehicle and approach it, to which Sgt. Bouchard and I then made contact with him. The male party affirmed he was Matthew Owens and believed we were talking to him in regards to the call he had reported earlier to dispatch.”
Owens told Officer Klimowicz that he was parked in his Cadillac SUV in the JCPenney parking lot, when he was approached by a man in a bright yellow shirt.
“Note that Dean was wearing a bright yellow construction shirt when I spoke with him at the hospital,” Officer Klimowicz said. “Matthew noted that there was a truck in the parking lot when he was parked there and that the male party got out of the front passenger seat of it before approaching him and yelling something about money. Matthew affirmed he knows Ross, stating that he lent him $50 and that Ross paid him $30, then another $40 weeks later.”
Owens said he was upset it took Ross so long to pay him.
“Matthew stated that the male party in the yellow shirt, identified as Dean [last name redacted], approached his driver side window and started attacking him through the window,” Officer Klimowicz said. “Matthew added that he began to drive off, and that Dean did not fall from the car nor was dragged.”
Owens said that Dean then got back into the truck, which he presumed belonged to Ross and left the area.
“Matthew later described how Dean hung on to his window frame as he drove away, but that Dean did not appear to be injured by the incident,” Officer Klimowicz said. “I advised Matthew that Dean was in the hospital with serious injuries and that it was reported that Matthew hit him with the vehicle, dragged him alongside and underneath it, and then circled back to hit him again.”
Owens denied the allegations, reiterating that he was attacked by Dean at the window.
“After conferring with Sgt. Bouchard, I advised Matthew he was under arrest for Leaving the Scene of Personal Injury and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon,” Officer Klimowicz said.
Owens was handcuffed, searched, and placed in the rear of a police cruiser for transport to the Leominster Police Department for booking.
“Prior to transport, Leominster Fire/EMS was requested on scene to evaluate Matthew who requested them, stating he has stress induced seizures,” Officer Klimowicz said.
Owens was medically cleared at the scene prior to being transported to the Leominster Police Department for booking by Lieutenant Thomas Wade.
“Ricky’s Towing was dispatched to the scene to transport the Cadillac to the LPD impound lot for evidence processing in the event Dean’s blood had been on the driver’s side door area where he was allegedly dragged from,” Officer Klimowicz said. “Note that the severity of Dean’s injuries were still unknown at this time, pending the x-rays done at the hospital.”
Officer Klimowicz said Sgt. Bouchard remained with the vehicle and followed it back to the station, where it was impounded. Klimowicz said he met the tow upon arrival and conducted a motor vehicle inventory in accordance with Leominster Police Department policy.
“Detective [Michael] Kochanski was requested by Lt. [Juan] Ramos (3rd shift OIC [Officer in Charge]) to take on this case,” Officer Klimowicz said. “I briefed Detective Kochanski on the case before re-interviewing Dean at the hospital to corroborate his prior statements alongside Detective Kochanski. Dean reiterated his aforementioned account, but showed inconsistencies in that he stated he believed Matthew sped off after dragging him, and went around the median to drive away. When asked again, Dean stated that Matthew turned around in the parking lot and sped towards him, and that he needed to roll on the ground to avoid Matthew hitting him again. Dean was adamant that he had just stumbled upon Matthew parked in the lot there and that Ross pointed out Matthew’s vehicle as they drove by. Dean affirmed he had not provoked, antagonized, or assaulted Matthew through the car window.”
Detective Kochanski photographed Dean’s reported injuries. Dean informed officers that doctors believed he had a pinched nerve pressing against a disc in his back.
“Dean was preparing to be discharged as we were arriving on scene,” Officer Klimowicz said. “With the extent of his injuries now known, it was concluded that Matthew’s vehicle did not need to remain impounded for evidence processing. At this time, it is in the LPD impound lot, pending being release to Matthew.”
Matthew Owens was charged with the following (Officer Klimowicz’s reasoning for the charges is provided in quotations):
- Negligent Operation of Motor Vehicle
- “Matthew reportedly drove towards Dean intentionally, after turning his steering wheel 45 degrees, striking Dean, and dragging him alongside the vehicle, before driving away at a high rate of speed (reported by Dean to have been 40-50mph), while Dean held on to the driver’s window/door frame,” Officer Klimowicz said. “Dean reported that Matthew turned the vehicle around and began driving towards him again at a high rate of speed, to which Dean believed he would be struck or run over.”
- Leaving the Scene with Personal Injury
- “Matthew was the sole occupant, and identified operator of the vehicle when it reportedly struck Dean, who sustained various aforementioned injuries,” Officer Klimowicz said.
- Assault & Battery with Dangerous Weapon & Serious Bodily Injury
- “Matthew allegedly drove his SUV towards Dean who was 10-15ft away from the vehicle, turned the wheel 45 degrees in Dean’s direction, and accelerated towards him, striking him with the side of his vehicle,” Officer Klimowicz said. “Matthew then reportedly dragged Dean along the parking lot with his vehicle, causing Dean to sustain injuries including road rash, various lacerations, and a pinched nerve against a disc along his vertebrae.”
Owens was also issued a citation for the following:
- Negligent Operation of Motor Vehicle
- Leaving the Scene with Personal Injury
Owens was arraigned in Leominster District Court on Sept. 9, 2025. Following his arraignment, he was released on $1,000 cash bail under the condition that he not drive without a valid license and stay away from/not contact the victim.
Owens attended a pretrial conference on Oct. 9, 2025. His next court date is a compliance and election hearing scheduled for Nov. 13, 2025.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in September, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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