Cambridge Police Dept. Arrests Individual For Slashing Car Tires

The Cambridge Police Department (CPD) arrested a man accused of slashing tires in a slew of incidents in Cambridge on Sunday.

The CPD apprehended Verissimo Tavaras, an 18-year-old male from Randolph, MA in front of Johnston Gate in the early morning. Tavaras and a number of other individuals fit the description of a group that has been seen slashing tires on Saturday.

“The arrested and other persons involved were not affiliated with the University,” Harvard University Police Department spokesman, Steven G. Catalano, wrote in an e-mail.

At 1:30 am on Sunday morning, Colin T. Donnelly ’10, found his car, which was parked on Plympton St., with two of its tires slashed. He said that the cost of replacing the tires exceeded 350 dollars.

“I believe there were at least eight cars on Plympton St. that were slashed and at least one on DeWolfe St.,” he said. The numbers could not be confirmed by HUPD.

At least six instances of tire slashing were reported to the CPD in the Alewife area, two miles away from Harvard Square.

The CPD did not say whether the Plympton St. and Alewife incidents were connected.

According to the log, Tavaras was identified by an eyewitness who saw him slashing tires on cars the previous day.

In 2006, Tavaras was charged with shoplifting by concealment in Cambridge, but the case was dropped, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

It is unclear who the other members of the group were or whether they were also responsible for the destruction of property. None of these individuals were arrested.