WCAC

A running, unlocked funeral vehicle was stolen from Brasco funeral home on Monday afternoon.

 

Responding quickly, Waltham Police arrested Martin Darcy, 47, of Waltham, in front of the Wal-Lex Shopping Center on Lexington Street, according to Waltham District Court documents. 

Darcy is also facing unrelated charges in connection with a string of recent North Waltham package thefts.

Wrong Getaway Route?

Paul Brasco, a funeral director and Waltham city councilor, was preparing to leave for a procession to Calvary Cemetery when he parked a funeral vehicle in front of the family business on Moody Street.

 

“The vehicle was running due to the cold weather with the keys in the ignition,” said a police report.

After Brasco noticed that the 2011 Crown Vic was missing, a woman told him that a male in a dark sweatshirt had driven it away. He called 911.

 

A Waltham Police BOLO led officers working a Balthazar police detail on Lexington Street to block the stolen vehicle near the Wal-Lex strip mall.

Two officers drew their weapons and arrested Martin Darcy without incident.The car, valued at $5,000, was then parked in front of TJ Maxx for recovery.

 

At Monday’s city council meeting, councilor Brasco thanked the detail officers involved and smiled at the suspect’s choice of gridlocked Lexington Street as a getaway route [see video above].

 

“Officer Giordano [above, in file photo] stalled traffic and actually created a traffic jam while Officers Moriarty and Lord apprehended the suspect and returned my vehicle safe and sound,” Brasco said.

“And that was in a total of eight minutes,” he added, smiling.

 

On Tuesday, Martin Darcy was arraigned in Waltham District Court on two counts: receiving a stolen motor vehicle and operating a vehicle without a license after an earlier license revocation.

Suspected Porch Pirate

The car theft isn’t Darcy’s only current larceny case.

 

He was arrested by Waltham Police on January 16 and charged in connection with a number of package thefts at a North Waltham apartment building at 1000 Lexington Street.

Roughly two dozen items were recovered by police, including clothes, shoes, makeup, children’s books and a framed Norman Rockwell print valued at $550. 

 

Darcy was arraigned in Waltham District Court on two larceny counts. The estimated value of the stolen goods is roughly $1,500, according to court documents.

Police said that number could increase, as several of the packages were unopened Amazon boxes.

“We returned what we have identified so far,” said WPD spokesman Det. Sgt. Pat Dean. “We are still in the process of trying to identify the rest.”

Personal Recognizance with Conditions

Following the alleged vehicle theft this week, Martin Darcy was released on personal recognizance with the following conditions: report once a week to probation and undergo a mental health evaluation.

 

His next court date in Waltham for the alleged car theft and package thefts is March 5, 2025.