Freetown Police Arrest Alleged ‘Screw Bandit’

FREETOWN (WBSM) — Freetown Police have captured a suspect who is allegedly the town’s mysterious "Screw Bandit," and has been leaving construction screws in the roadway for weeks.

Charles Macomber of the Freetown Highway Department told WBSM on Monday that for about three weeks, members of the department “have picked up multiple handfuls of screws on a daily basis” that were found in the area of South Main Street in Freetown’s Assonet Village, with the department making “three to five sweeps per day.”

The screws had damaged the tires of multiple vehicles traveling through the busy section of road.

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On Tuesday, Freetown Police acknowledged the construction screws had been “intentionally placed along a well-traveled section of South Main Street,” and that they had captured a suspect in connection.

At about 4:45 p.m. today, officers arrested Peter Vasconcellos, 56, a South Main Street resident “who resides within the section of roadway where the screws have been placed,” police said.

Vasconcellos is charged with operating a vehicle after having his license revoked, operating a vehicle with a revoked registration, and uninsured operation of a motor vehicle.

“During an inventory of the vehicle, police located screws in a driver’s door compartment. Also, police located an open box of screws behind the center console,” police said. “The screws are identical to those recovered from the roadway.”

The investigation remains ongoing and anyone whose tires sustained damage while driving along South Main Street is asked to contact Detectives Patrick Lee or Shane Kelley at (508) 763-4017.