Man tries to steal safe by hiding it in his pants

ATHOL — A local man faces a shoplifting charge after police say he tried steal a safe from Ocean State Job Lot by hiding the item in his pants.

Patrick Ward, 36, was arraigned on Friday in Orange District Court for one count of shoplifting by concealing merchandise.

According to a police report, Officer Corey Chauvette was dispatched to Ocean State Job Lot on Freedom Street on April 9 for a report of an attempted shoplifting. Keith Vizcarrondo, the store’s loss prevention officer, told Chauvette he saw Ward take a safe, valued at $40, off a shelf, crush its box and put the safe in his pants.

Ward said he made a mistake and Vizcarrondo’s statements were true.

He has a pretrial conference scheduled for June 21.