Massachusetts

Man With Pipe Pretends to Be Police While Attempting to Burglarize Home, Police Say

Joshua Correia, 20, of Dartmouth, was charged with vandalizing property, impersonating a police officer and attempted burglary

A Massachusetts man is facing a number of charges after police say he attempted to force his way into a Dartmouth home using a metal pipe while telling the owner he was with the police.

Police received a 911 call from an Avis Street homeowner at 2:09 a.m. Wednesday saying that a man was trying to break into the house.

When an officer arrived, a man was seen fleeing into a nearby wooded area.

The homeowner told police the man, who had been holding a metal pipe, knocked on the door saying, "This is the police! I have a warrant! Open the door!"

When the owner called 911, he said the man tried kicking in both the front and back doors before fleeing.

Just before 4 a.m., the officer spotted a man matching the suspect's description walking in the area.

After the man was identified as Joshua Correia, 20, of Dartmouth, police were able to determine that he was the man who tried to break into the home.

Correia was arrested and charged with vandalizing property, impersonating a police officer and attempted burglary.

He was expected to be arraigned in New Bedford District Court. It's unclear if he has an attorney.

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