Crime & Safety

California Man Arrested After Visiting Stoneham

A California man allegedly involved in hit-and-run incidents in multiple towns was arrested recently after driving his brother from Stoneham and friends to Waltham for a night of drinking.

By Mark Ouellette

A California man allegedly involved in hit-and-run incidents in multiple towns was arrested recently after driving his brother from Stoneham and friends to Waltham for a night of drinking, according to a Winchester police report.

At 12:28 a.m. July 10, Winchester police responded to the area of Mystic Valley Parkway and Lloyd Street for a report of an erratic driver and possible hit-and-run incidents, according to a police report. A driver claimed that a man driving another sideswiped his vehicle in Belmont, continued on into Arlington and Medford where he allegedly hit a tree, according to the report. The suspect’s vehicle had reportedly had a flat tire, but continued into Winchester on Mystic Valley Parkway running the tire off the rim and pulling onto Lloyd Street.

Police located the vehicle and discovered it had front end damage and a flat front left tire, according to the report. The driver of the damaged vehicle, Wilman David Perez-Sanchez, 29, of 1436 Virginia Ave., Apt. A, Ontario, Calif., was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle without a license.

At about 1 a.m., Winchester police called for a Spanish-speaking officer from the Somerville Police Department, according to the report. When the Somerville officer arrived, Perez-Sanchez reportedly provided a statement. 

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Perez-Sanchez told police that he is a citizen of Guatemala and a resident of California, and that he left California several days ago in a 1997 Toyota vehicle belonging to another man, according to the report. Perez-Sanchez, who allegedly admitted to not being licensed in any state, paid cash for the vehicle, but it was still registered to the other man, according to the report. 

The suspect told police he was traveling to see his brother who lived in Stoneham and whom he had not seen in three years, according to the report. Perez-Sanchez was reportedly arrested in Colorado for unlicensed operation of a vehicle, inadvertently crossed into Canada due to a GPS error, was allowed to leave by the Canadian authorities and crossed back over into the border into Port Huron, Michigan where he was detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.

Find out what's happening in Stonehamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Perez-Sanchez had several U.S. Homeland Security documents dated July 8 in his possession, including a notice to appear, warrant for arrest of alien, order of release on recognizance, notice of rights and request for disposition and notice of custody determination for being an undocumented alien in the United States, according to the report. 

The Californian arrived at his brother’s home at about 5 p.m. June 9 and fell asleep, according to the report. They later went out with friends for drinks in Waltham, according to the report. Perez-Sanchez was reportedly the designated driver.

Perez-Sanchez, who was having difficulty with his GPS and the verbal directions given by his brother, reportedly attempted to drive the group back to Stoneham and along the way he struck a curb, hit a tree and in the process shredded his tire.

Arlington police found no damage in town, the report adds.

Perez-Sanchez appeared in Woburn District Court and bail was set at $2,000, according to the report. He did not post bail.


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