Teh One Who Knocks
05-18-2017, 11:22 AM
Antonio Planas - The Boston Herald
http://i.imgur.com/x8erX97l.jpg
A Newton woman, who police say was drunk behind the wheel when she crashed her Mercedes-Benz in Taunton, had a surprise passenger stowed in her bra — a bearded dragon lizard.
By the time her wild ride ended in a thicket of trees in someone’s front yard Monday, police say, Amy Rebello-McCarthy’s speeding red Mercedes C280 had hit six mailboxes and a well cover, leaving the mangled vehicle with four flat tires, no bumpers and both air bags deployed. When the first officers arrived on scene, the 39-year-old was laughing, unsteady on her feet, drooling and slurring her words, cops said.
http://i.imgur.com/VXyI0YWl.jpg
It wasn’t until she was placed in the back of a squad car that her arrest took an unexpected, cold-blooded turn.
“Amy advised this officer that she had a bearded dragon lizard in her bra,” police wrote in their report. “A female bystander had removed that lizard and placed it in a red bandana for safe keeping. Amy did state the lizard was injured prior to our arrival.”
Although witnesses identified Rebello-McCarthy as the driver, they also told police a passenger, Marvin K. Kyewalyanga, 22, of Waltham, had been seen trying to drive the heavily damaged car off the front lawn. Responding officers said Kyewalyanga was also slurring his words, couldn’t tell them his first or last name when they asked and was casually smoking a cigarette despite the gasoline that was leaking from the vehicle.
As he backed away from the car, police noticed what appeared to be a semi-automatic gun in his waistband and ordered him to the ground, according to court documents. The weapon, police said, turned out to be a replica pellet gun. He was placed into protective custody.
During an interview with police, officers said Rebello-McCarthy was visibly drunk and admitted to drinking three drinks while taking the methadone and gabapentin she had been prescribed. She also asked if the officers could call her a tow truck.
“Amy requested that we call a tow truck to pull her from the front lawn,” officers wrote, “and she stated she would be on her way.”
Rebello-McCarthy’s blood-alcohol content, police said, was measured at 0.15, just shy of twice the legal limit.
This isn’t the first time Rebello-McCarthy has had a run-in with Taunton cops, Lt. Paul Roderick said, noting she has a long criminal record dating to the mid-’90s that includes arrests for credit card fraud, larcenies and burglaries. He said she also had previous drug arrests.
Rebello-McCarthy was arraigned in Taunton District Court yesterday on charges including operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and driving to endanger. A judge ordered her held on $500 cash bail, according to the clerk’s office.
Rebello-McCarthy could not be reached for comment.
As for the lizard, police noted in a post to the department’s Facebook page the reptile was “transferred to the Taunton Police Department and turned over to the Animal Control Officer. It faces no charges at this time.”
http://i.imgur.com/x8erX97l.jpg
A Newton woman, who police say was drunk behind the wheel when she crashed her Mercedes-Benz in Taunton, had a surprise passenger stowed in her bra — a bearded dragon lizard.
By the time her wild ride ended in a thicket of trees in someone’s front yard Monday, police say, Amy Rebello-McCarthy’s speeding red Mercedes C280 had hit six mailboxes and a well cover, leaving the mangled vehicle with four flat tires, no bumpers and both air bags deployed. When the first officers arrived on scene, the 39-year-old was laughing, unsteady on her feet, drooling and slurring her words, cops said.
http://i.imgur.com/VXyI0YWl.jpg
It wasn’t until she was placed in the back of a squad car that her arrest took an unexpected, cold-blooded turn.
“Amy advised this officer that she had a bearded dragon lizard in her bra,” police wrote in their report. “A female bystander had removed that lizard and placed it in a red bandana for safe keeping. Amy did state the lizard was injured prior to our arrival.”
Although witnesses identified Rebello-McCarthy as the driver, they also told police a passenger, Marvin K. Kyewalyanga, 22, of Waltham, had been seen trying to drive the heavily damaged car off the front lawn. Responding officers said Kyewalyanga was also slurring his words, couldn’t tell them his first or last name when they asked and was casually smoking a cigarette despite the gasoline that was leaking from the vehicle.
As he backed away from the car, police noticed what appeared to be a semi-automatic gun in his waistband and ordered him to the ground, according to court documents. The weapon, police said, turned out to be a replica pellet gun. He was placed into protective custody.
During an interview with police, officers said Rebello-McCarthy was visibly drunk and admitted to drinking three drinks while taking the methadone and gabapentin she had been prescribed. She also asked if the officers could call her a tow truck.
“Amy requested that we call a tow truck to pull her from the front lawn,” officers wrote, “and she stated she would be on her way.”
Rebello-McCarthy’s blood-alcohol content, police said, was measured at 0.15, just shy of twice the legal limit.
This isn’t the first time Rebello-McCarthy has had a run-in with Taunton cops, Lt. Paul Roderick said, noting she has a long criminal record dating to the mid-’90s that includes arrests for credit card fraud, larcenies and burglaries. He said she also had previous drug arrests.
Rebello-McCarthy was arraigned in Taunton District Court yesterday on charges including operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and driving to endanger. A judge ordered her held on $500 cash bail, according to the clerk’s office.
Rebello-McCarthy could not be reached for comment.
As for the lizard, police noted in a post to the department’s Facebook page the reptile was “transferred to the Taunton Police Department and turned over to the Animal Control Officer. It faces no charges at this time.”