Suspect arrested in connection to Greenfield cigarette thefts

GREENFIELD — A 52-year-old Springfield man has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of break-ins at convenience stores throughout the Pioneer Valley early this year, during which thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes were stolen.

Jose M. Vazquez was arraigned in Greenfield District Court Tuesday on three counts of breaking and entering a building during the nighttime for a felony, two counts of larceny from a building and two counts of malicious destruction of property less than $250.

According to a police report by Greenfield Detective Sgt. Daniel McCarthy, a number of similar break-ins occurred throughout the Pioneer Valley and in Connecticut in January, during which numerous cartons of cigarettes were stolen. Information was shared among area police departments and Vazquez was identified as a suspect on Jan. 11 based on a motor vehicle stop in Suffield, Conn., minutes before the discovery of a break-in in that area.

Vazquez had very similar facial features to the individual who broke into the F.L. Roberts on Main Street in Greenfield, as well as the Shell/Lipton Mart on the Mohawk Trail, according to the report. McCarthy noted that the break-ins had the same method of entry and all involved stolen cigarettes. A similar vehicle was used in some of the incidents, later identified as Vazquez’s mother’s Nissan Sentra, which he had been using.

Based on that information, a detective from Suffield, Conn. was able to apply for a search warrant for Vazquez’s phone number. According to the report, his phone was used around the same times of the break-ins in Greenfield. That, coupled with the type of vehicle used and physical similarities between Vazquez and the person seen on video surveillance of the convenience stores led police to identify him as a suspect in the Greenfield burglaries.

Vazquez was arrested on a warrant. Bail was set at $2,000 cash following his arraignment Tuesday, and he is due back in court Oct. 31 for a motion hearing.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Greenfield District Court, Vazquez is alleged to have stolen a total of 63 cartons of cigarettes in Greenfield, valued at $6,258.