Man Allegedly Shoplifts Ground Beef, Flees in Notorious Minivan

A man allegedly walked into Trader Joe’s at about 4 p.m. Wednesday, hid 10 packages of frozen ground beef in a hooded sweatshirt and then walked out of the store without paying.

The man then entered a well-known vehicle to police, a blue Honda minivan, which has had its plates run 18 times since June by police in Somerville, Cambridge, Malden, Boston, Weymouth and Barnstable, according to police.

A Trader Joe’s employee followed the man out of the store and stood in front of the minivan to try and stop it from leaving. However, once the vehicle started moving, the employee got out of the way. There were about three to four other people in the minivan, the employee told police.

The employee said this same minivan has been involved in past larcenies at the store.

The man was described as a white male, about 6 feet tall, with short black hair, wearing a gray T-shirt and black shorts.

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Notable Incidents from Wednesday to Thursday, Sept. 5-6

Thursday, Sept. 6

7:09 p.m., Lamson Way and Massachusetts Avenue, Unregistered motor vehicle

5:40 p.m., Gardner Street, Arrest, assault and battery

5:31 p.m., Forest Street, Motor vehicle crash, leaving the scene of property damage

12:11 p.m., Fremont Court, Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license

Wednesday, Sept. 5

11:55 p.m., Maple Street, Annoying telephone calls

7:39 p.m., Medford Street, Annoying telephone calls

5:56 p.m., Bowdoin Street, Neighbor problem

4:16 p.m., Trader Joe’s, Massachusetts Avenue, Larceny under $250 (see above)

2:21 p.m., Academy Street, Breaking and entering into a motor vehicle

12:30 p.m., Dothan Street, Annoying telephone calls

12:23 p.m., Dallin Elementary School, Florence Avenue, Larceny from a building

11:17 a.m., Mill Brook Drive, Larceny under $250

7:45 a.m., Egerton Road, Breaking and entering into a motor vehicle

7:37 a.m., Academy Street, Breaking and entering into a motor vehicle

5:45 a.m., Mount Auburn Street, Motor vehicle crash without injury