Acushnet Police Arrest Repeat Criminal for Multiple Vehicle Break-Ins

ACUSHNET ( WBSM ) — Acushnet Police arrested a man with a lengthy criminal history who they say is responsible for breaking into a number of vehicles in the center of town and stealing items ranging from loose change to thousands of dollars in work tools.

The break-ins happened early in the morning of October 23, and the case was assigned to the Acushnet Police detective division. Detective Sergeant Jeremy Fontes and Officer Adam Hebert began the investigation despite having little information, police said.

Fontes and Hebert canvassed the area, speaking with residents, and through those conversations and through some technological advances, they were able to identify both a vehicle and a suspect.

Police said the suspect was identified as Derek Dejesus, 49, with addresses in both Florida and Massachusetts. They said Dejesus has a 270-item adult Bureau of Prisons record which includes several convictions for breaking and entering and larceny which have resulted in incarceration.

Fontes and Hebert worked with Dartmouth Police and New Bedford Police to track Dejesus down. They were able to obtain both arrest and search warrants and used them to recover numerous items, police said.

Dejesus was arrested and charged with breaking and entering a vehicle in the nighttime to commit a felony, attempting to commit a crime, larceny under $1,200 and larceny over $1,2000.

After he was arrested, he was also identified as the suspect in a Westport crime.