New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
This Sunday morning at approximately 5am north end officers were dispatched to the 7-11 at 1499 Acushnet Ave. regarding an unarmed robbery that just took place. The 35-year old female clerk was not harmed. She stated that a male entered the store and demanded money and cigarettes. He did not show a weapon. After taking an undisclosed amount of cash and a pack of cigarettes, he fled the store on foot south on Acushnet Ave.
An alert Star Cab driver and his passenger observed the male running from the store and followed him until he entered a house at 338 North Front St. The cab then returned to the store and provided the information to the clerk prior to police arrival.
Lt. Derek Belong arrived at the house and observed a female inside the first floor apartment and the suspect matching the description through a window. After repeated knocking, the female finally opened the door. She initially denied anyone was in the apartment then admitted that he had jumped out the bathroom window.
Skeptical, Lt. Belong and Officer Antonio Almeida entered the bathroom and found the suspect standing in the tub behind the shower curtain. He was taken into custody without incident.
He was placed under arrest by Officer Yesenia-Miranda Santiago and charged with one count of unarmed robbery. He will be arraigned Monday morning in New Bedford District Court.
Timmothy Martins age 37 with no permanent address.
Video by Carlos Pimentel Felix.
Newly appointed Chair of Public Safety Debora Coelho has proposed an ordinance which would ban bathtubs in high crime areas of the city. “Our police work very hard and they shouldn’t have to deal with people hiding in bath tubs” said Coelho.
https://youtu.be/zi6v2mHGvPo