Suspect with 98 Adult Arraignments Arrested After Stealing a Catalytic Converter

Suspect with 98 Adult Arraignments Arrested After Stealing a Catalytic Converter

Springfield, Mass. — At approximately 9:10 a.m. on Sunday August 21^st Springfield Police Officers and Springfield Police Detectives assigned to the Auto-Theft Unit arrested 51-year-old John Larder and 55-year-old Joseph Polmatier after they are alleged to have stolen a catalytic converter from a car on School Street.

On Sunday August 21^st at approximately 8:20 a.m. officers responded to School Street for a report of suspicious activity. Crime Analysts in the Springfield Police Real-Time Analysis Center (R-TAC) utilized city cameras to relay information to officers that two suspects came out from under a motor vehicle with several items.

When Officers arrived they detained Larder and Polmatier. Crime Analysts also informed officers the suspects placed some items by a tree at the intersection of Temple and School Street. Officers recovered a catalytic converter, a car-jack and a sawzall.

The vehicle the suspects arrived in was reported stolen and Larder, who was driving, has a suspended license.

Prior to this arrest Larder had 98 adult arraignments including four since 2021 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license in addition to numerous charges for larceny and possession of burglarious tools.

“Catalytic converter thefts continue to be a major issue not just in our city, but across the country. These thieves can remove these car parts in less than a minute leaving the driver or business without the use of their vehicle(s) until its repaired. This suspect with now more than 100 arraignments clearly has skirted any serious repercussions for his repeated crimes. I’d like to thank our officers’ quick response, our hard-work Auto-Theft Detectives and our Crime Analysts for an excellent job of working together to apprehend these suspects Sunday morning,” said Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “98 adult arraignments! This is beyond a repeat criminal offender, this is the court system giving our Springfield residents and businesses as comedian Rodney Dangerfield would say ‘no respect’! What the hell does it take for our courts to hold someone accountable? An individual with this track record is clearly laughing at our court system and sadly will once again be slapped on the wrist and let go to steal and damage someone else’s property. The judges seem to think it’s ok for my Springfield residents and businesses to ‘take it on the chin’, I don’t and will keep fighting for my Springfield residents and businesses on these public safety and quality of life issues. Our courts and state laws must change, we cannot keep this revolving door of career criminals stealing and hurt our residents and businesses. I commend our brave and dedicated men and women of the Springfield Police Department for their efforts day in and day out, but we need the courts and the laws of the Commonwealth to protect and have the best interest for our residents instead of pandering to these repeat criminal offenders.”

51-year-old John Larder of Springfield is charged with: