LAWRENCE — A city man faces several charges after his car rolled into a police cruiser as he was being stopped by officers on Haverhill Street Tuesday afternoon.
Police said Detective Dean Murphy was conducting surveillance in the Howard Street area about 11:15 a.m. when he came upon an unoccupied car that had been left running.
Murphy waited for the driver of the car, identified as Juan Cortijo, 38, of 496 Howard St., to come back to the vehicle.
After 40 minutes, Cortijo and a woman walked toward the car, got in and drove off. Murphy radioed officers in marked units, giving updates on the location of the car as he followed it.
The car stopped at the red light at Haverhill and Jackson streets. Before the light changed, Officer Claudio Camacho turned on his blue lights and pulled in front of the car to prevent it from moving, police said. Murphy then got out of his car, displayed his badge and ordered Cortijo to put his hands in the air.
But Cortijo put his hands on the steering wheel instead, and Murphy pulled open the driver’s side door to grab Cortijo and then Cortijo proceeded to travel straight toward Camacho’s cruiser at a low speed.
Murphy then pulled Cortijo from the car which continued moving and rolled into Camacho’s cruiser.
Cortijo was arrested and brought to the police station to be booked.
He provided police a Puerto Rican identification in the name of Roberto Calderon, but his fingerprints came back to his true name, Juan Jose Cortijo Figueroa.
Cortijo was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious damage to property over $250, driving after suspension, false name to a police officer at booking, and driving a vehicle with defective equipment.
Police said Cortijo was also wanted on warrants charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious damage to a motor vehicle, and distribution of cocaine.
The woman was not arrested and was allowed to go, police said.
Copyright 2012 Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. (CNHI)All Rights Reserved
