HAVERHILL — On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at approximately 5:21 p.m., Officer Domenic Buccini was conducting a street crimes patrol in an unmarked vehicle and plain clothes, with his gun and badge displayed, when he received an email alert from the Haverhill Police Department’s Flock LPR (license plate recognition) camera for a stolen Massachusetts license plate.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Domenic Buccini and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“The photo provided via email showed that the license plate was attached to a gray Subaru,” Officer Buccini said.
Officer Buccini said a query of the plates’ registration number through the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) showed that they had been reported stolen from a gray Toyota Camry.
“The Flock LPR camera alert was at the intersection of Main Street and Primrose Street, and the vehicle appeared to be traveling northbound up Main Street,” Officer Buccini said.
Officer Buccini, Officer Andrew Terrero, and Sergeant Michael Tortorise then responded to the area and began searching for the Subaru.
At approximately 5:39 p.m., while the officers were checking the area of Plaistow Road and Main Street, they observed the Subaru with the registration of the suspect vehicle traveling southbound on Main Street.
“The vehicle then turned into Friendly’s (1160 Main Street) and parked,” Officer Buccini said, adding that he and the other officers then made their way into the parking lot, parked, activated their body worn cameras, and approached the vehicle.
Officer Buccini said he explained to the driver, later identified as Meredith Collins, that the license plates on the vehicle she was operating were reported stolen from a Toyota Camry. In response, Collins said, “It is?”
According to police, Meredith C. Collins, 67, is a resident of Georgetown, MA.
“The license plate status was confirmed through Haverhill police dispatch,” Officer Buccini said. Adding, “I asked Meredith if she had her license on her, and she stated she did not. She provided her name and DOB [date of birth] to Officer Terrero.”
Officer Buccini asked Collins to turn off the vehicle, which she did.
“I then inquired about how Meredith got her license plates, to which she stated she did not and that someone got them for her,” Officer Buccini said. “She was unable to tell the officers who that party was.”
Photos Courtesy of Haverhill District Court
Officer Buccini then had Haverhill police dispatch run the vehicle’s VIN number, which revealed that the 2021 gray Subaru Legacy was registered to Collins and had a canceled registration.
“Meredith’s license status also returned a result of canceled, which was confirmed through Haverhill police dispatch,” Officer Buccini said.
Officer Buccini said he also asked Haverhill police dispatch to check whether Collins had a New Hampshire driver’s license, and dispatch confirmed that she did not.
Officer Buccini then read Collins her Miranda rights from a card he carries on his person.
“Meredith stated she understood the rights,” Officer Buccini said. “I then advised Meredith that what she was saying did not make sense and that the license plates did not just appear on her vehicle. Meredith stated that someone just put them on the vehicle. I then requested a tow and transport.”
Officer Buccini asked Collins to get out of the vehicle.
“While speaking to Meredith, she admitted to knowing she did not have a license. Meredith was then advised that she was being placed under arrest,” Officer Buccini said.
Officer Buccini said Collins was handcuffed behind her back and searched for weapons and contraband, but none were found.
Collins was then transported to the Haverhill Police Department for booking.
“It should be noted that several times throughout the interaction with Meredith, she stated she had Alzheimer’s and doesn’t understand what she’s doing at times,” Officer Buccini explained. “Throughout our interactions, Meredith was able to answer our questions in a clear-minded manner, both on scene and later on throughout the booking process. At no point in our interaction with Meredith did she state that she did not understand or could not remember.”
Meredith C. Collins, 67, of Georgetown, was arrested and charged with the following:
- Unlicensed Operation of Motor Vehicle
- Receive Stolen Property -$1200
- Uninsured Motor Vehicle/Trailer
- Unregistered Motor Vehicle
- Number Plate Violation to Conceal ID
“Bradford Towing responded and towed the vehicle,” Officer Buccini said. “The license plates were seized, logged, and placed into short-term evidence.”
Officer Buccini said that, at a later time, he was able to speak with the owner of the license plates over the phone. The owner told Officer Buccini that the license plates were stolen some time ago from the Toyota Camry.
The vehicle’s owner also stated that no one was authorized to use the license plates.
Officer Buccini said the Amesbury, Massachusetts Police Department was informed that the license plates were recovered.
Collins was arraigned in Haverhill District Court on July 23, 2026. Following her arraignment, she was released on personal recognizance.
Collins’ next court date is a pretrial hearing scheduled for Aug. 31, 2026.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in July, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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