Police: Man arrested for breaking and entering claimed he worked for Massport
The Winthrop man arrested and charged with breaking and entering last week told officers he was a Massachusetts Port Authority employee checking apartment windows, police said Tuesday.
Winthrop police responded to Golden Drive last Friday afternoon after receiving a report of a suspicious man knocking on doors to come inside. Police said when they arrived they found 35-year-old James Reppucci inside. Reppucci then allegedly told the officers he worked for Massport.
After confirming with Winthrop Housing Authority employees that no window repairs were being done and that no Massport employees had been authorized to check windows, police said the officers attempted to arrest Reppucci.
During a brief struggle, a knife fell out of Reppucci’s pocket, according to police.
Residents of another apartment told police Reppucci entered their home without knocking or identifying himself.
Police said during the booking process at the station, Reppucci became “extremely uncooperative and assaultive.’’ Officers were injured, including one who was briefly hospitalized, when Reppucci had to be forced to the ground, according to police.
Police said they found methamphetamine in Reppucci’s possession during the booking process.
Reppucci was arraigned in East Boston District Court on charges including two felony counts of breaking and entering and four counts of assault and battery on a police officer.
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