July 8, 2010
The Boston Police Department says a Dorchester man armed with a fake grenade tried and failed to steal a Mercedes from Expressway Toyota on Morrissey Boulevard Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, Carlos Guzman, 27 of Dorchester, walked into the dealership at 700 Morrissey Blvd. around 3 p.m., wearing a Ferrari T-shirt, and asked to take a Mercedes for a test drive.
But, police say: "Dealer staff was hesitant to let the suspect drive due to nervous and fidgety behavior and instead opted to take him for a ride in the car. The suspect was taken for the ride and upon returning to the dealer while sitting in the car with the salesperson exclaimed, 'I have a grenade, get back or I will blow this up.' The suspect was then observed to have removed a camouflaged grenade from his pants pocket. The keys were removed from the car and the suspect pulled out of the car and a struggle ensued between the dealer staff and the suspect. During the struggle, the salesperson yelled for another dealer staff to call 911. The suspect fled from the scene when he heard that the police were being called leaving behind his baseball cap and cell phone."
Police say officers caught up with him not long after at Freeport Street and Dorchester Avenue, where he allegedly ducked into a store when he saw officers. Police say that once Guzman realized he was cornered, he said, "I don't have a bomb, I don’t have a bomb!" However, police say, he did have a fake grenade in his pants.
Guzman was charged with attempted armed robbery.