LEOMINSTER — On Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, Officer Nicholas Rice and Sergeant James McKenna of the Leominster Police Department were on duty at Motel 6, 48 Commercial Road, when an individual previously identified by staff as involved in a disturbance in the parking lot returned to the property in a blue Nissan Cube with Massachusetts plates.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Nicholas Rice and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
Officer Rice reported that Sergeant McKenna observed the man — later identified as Joshua Lambert — drive onto the motel property, park in a designated space in the parking lot, and exit the driver’s seat of the vehicle, of which he was the sole occupant.
According to police, Joshua A. Lambert, 50, is a resident of Princeton, MA.
“I spoke with Joshua outside of his vehicle and told him that Motel 6 wanted him to leave,” Officer Rice said. “He stated that he didn’t do anything and that ‘I just pulled up right now.’ Joshua was trying to portray his innocence by stating that he was not doing anything wrong.”
More: Ashby man accused of picking fights, kicking cars arrested at Leominster motel
While speaking with Lambert, Officer Rice said that he detected an odor of alcoholic beverages on his breath, observed his eyes to be bloodshot and glassy, and noted that he was speaking with thick, slurred speech.
Officer Rice reported that a member of the motel staff, Ralba, indefinitely trespassed Lambert from Motel 6.
“I asked Joshua how much he had to drink tonight and he stated that he had three ‘shots off a sleeve and a drink,’” Officer Rice said. “I asked what drink he had, and he stated it was a ‘Long Island Iced Tea.’ It should be noted that a Long Island Iced Tea is an alcoholic beverage comprised of five different types of hard liquor and some mixers.”
Officer Rice reported that he asked Lambert when he consumed the alcohol, and Lambert responded, “about an hour ago.” When the officer repeated that statement back to him, Lambert changed his account and said he had consumed alcohol within the last four hours.
“I asked Joshua if he would like to do SFSTs [Standardized Field Sobriety Tests] and he agreed and stated he would call his lawyer,” Officer Rice said. “I told him he had every right to call a lawyer but asked again if he wanted to do SFSTs. He became argumentative and demanded to see video of him driving onto the property. At this point, I formed the opinion that Joshua was under the influence of intoxicating liquors. I told Joshua he was under arrest for OUI.”
Officer Rice said Lambert complied and turned around.
“I placed him in handcuffs which were checked for tightness and double locked. He was transported to the station for booking,” Officer Rice said. “I conducted an inventory of the vehicle prior to it being towed.”
Officer Rice reported that he located an open bag of marijuana in the vehicle’s glove compartment, along with four empty 50 mL bottles of Jim Beam Apple (32.5% alcohol by volume). He also noted that approximately $1,500 worth of construction tools were in the trunk.
The vehicle was then towed by American Auto Body.
Officer Rice reported that he took possession of the four nip bottles and the open package of marijuana as evidence. Back at the station, the items were logged into evidence under separate property numbers and secured in individual lockers.
Joshua A. Lambert, 50, of Princeton, was arrested and charged with the following:
- OUI – Liquor or .08%, 3rd Offense
- Open Container of Marijuana in a Motor Vehicle
According to Leominster Police Officer Christian Wade, Lambert refused both an evidentiary breath and blood test during the booking process.
Lambert was arraigned in Leominster District Court on Jan. 7, 2026. Following his arraignment, he was released on $5,000 cash bail and ordered to wear a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor (SCRAM) ankle bracelet, under the condition that he submit to drug and alcohol testing.
His next court date was a pretrial hearing scheduled for Feb. 5, 2026.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the arrest in this story took place in January, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
To learn more about News Link Live’s unique business model, please read the following:
An online business model that could replace local newspapers
Why The Leominster Champion Failed
The Medium is the Message by Marshall McCLuhan
The Ego and the ID by Sigmund Freud