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While stationed on Route 20 at around 2 a.m., a West Springfield police officer allegedly saw an SUV pull an abrupt U-Turn a house or two before passing the cruiser.
Suspecting the driver was trying to avoid the police, the officer pursued the vehicle, police said.
The West Springfield Police Department had stationed an officer in the Tatham Neighborhood by Poplar Avenue on Route 20 due to a rash of car break-ins and thefts, police said.
The officer allegedly chased the suspicious vehicle - a dark-colored SUV - all the way to Park Street, police said. The pursuit ended when the SUV’s driver lost control of the vehicle at the rotary on the Park Street/Route 5 on-ramp. The SUV came to a stop when it hit a curb, which knocked off the vehicle’s left-front wheel, police said.
The four teens arrested are from Hartford. Police arrested a fifth person along with the teens, a 20-year-old man from Windsor, Connecticut. The vehicle involved was allegedly stolen from Niantic, Connecticut, police said.
The people who were arrested were Nathaniel Rodriguez and Raynor Blanton, both 18; Kelvin Robinson, 20, of Windsor Connecticut; and two 17-year-olds from Hartford, police said. Due to the juvenile status of the 17-year-olds, no other identifying information was provided
Each person was charged with receiving stolen property valued at more than $1,200, and receiving a stolen motor vehicle, police said. Rodriguez, who was the alleged driver, was also charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, and making an improper turn, police said.
In addition to recovering an SUV, police allegedly found a purse reported stolen from Ludlow and about eight cellphones in the vehicle.
An investigation into whether the arrested people are connected to motor vehicle thefts of break-ins in the area is on-going, police said. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the police at (413) 263-3210.
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