MALDEN, MASS. (WHDH) – Malden police nabbed a man they say tried to steal an Amazon truck Thursday afternoon.
Officers were called to the scene near the intersection of Main Street and Bickford Road around lunchtime for reports of the carjacking, according to police.
The delivery driver, who identified himself as Jose, said he had just stepped out to deliver a package when the man got behind the wheel.
“I was like, ‘Hey, hey what are you doing?’ and ran up to the van and he just took off,” he said.
The joyride did not last long. Jose said the 42-year-old Somerville man, later identified as Michael Cunha, jumped out. Jose said he was not going to let him get away so he began chasing him around the parking lot. That is when several good Samaritans who own businesses in the area jumped into action.
“I saw the Amazon guy running down going, ‘That’s a thief! That’s a thief,'” said Josef Tesfaye who works in his parents’ restaurant nearby. “Then he runs that way, they come from the other side and just run back to this side and I just caught him. He went under my leg and I caught him.”
Jose said the whole ordeal felt like a Netflix special.
“There was a guy who tried to restrain him but that wasn’t working. This guy was slippery and then from there he just bolted behind this house,” said Jose.
Cunha managed to slip away for a brief time and dump some of his clothes in a nearby backyard but he was taken into custody a short time later without incident. Officers said he did have a knife on him but dropped it immediately.
No injuries were reported.
“Amazingly no one was hurt — other than maybe some egos,” Lieutenant Powell said. “But, other than that, no serious injuries.”
While police don’t want people to try to take on these situations themselves, they said the efforts seen in Malden Thursday afternoon surely slowed the suspect down.
Cunha is due to appear in court on Friday. Jose said he is ready to get back to work.
“I was really thankful,” said the delivery driver. “Super thankful. I was like, ‘Yo thank you to all the people there helping me out. Thank you so much.'”
The incident remains under investigation.
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