AUBURN — Police swiftly recovered all 16 vehicles stolen from a local business on Route 20 after a pre-dawn burglary was reported at 7 a.m. Thursday.
Auburn Police Department (APD) officers discovered that several suspects had cut through the fencing and rammed a secure gate with a large vehicle to steal the cars, which were all 2020 models or newer, including a high-end 2022 Cadillac CT4.
Working diligently with the business’s management and security, APD detectives employed various methods to track down the vehicles.
By 4 p.m., they had located three cars hidden in Auburn, nine in a Natick parking lot, and one in South Boston.
The Bureau of Criminal Identification unit processed the recovered vehicles as detectives interviewed over 17 individuals and coordinated efforts with other law enforcement entities.
The investigation intensified when, around 8 p.m., a tip led to the sighting of the stolen Cadillac on Route 90 near Natick.
Massachusetts State Police from the Weston Barracks intercepted the vehicle, apprehending three Boston men after a brief foot chase with the driver.
Evidence collected by APD detectives at the Weston Barracks by midnight tied the trio to the thefts.
By 5:45 p.m. Friday, in less than 36 hours from the initial report, all 16 vehicles had been recovered thanks to relentless detective work.
The three men apprehended Thursday night face charges for receiving stolen motor vehicles among other offenses, with additional charges pending from APD.
The Massachusetts State Police set bail for the driver, Mohamed Abbas, at $25,000, while his accomplices, Hamza Jeilani and Musab Mandar, both had their bail set at $15,000 each.
