Stripped Vehicles Lead to Arrest

A blocked driveway on Cherry Street led to a Salem man’s arrest on receiving stolen property charges this week.

William Murphy, 20, of 7 Parlee St., in Salem was arrested.

Tuesday shortly before 8 a.m. police received a report of a blocked driveway at 58 Cherry St., Det. Tim Cassidy said in a news release.

The driveway was blocked by a vehicle that had been stripped clean, the engine included.

Police ran the registration. It came back stolen out of Chelsea, police said.

This was the second stolen and stripped vehicle dumped on Cherry Street in a week, police said.

The owner of one of the vehicles located his car parts in a garage at 14 Roy St.

Swampscott police got a search warrant for the address. 

The police and detectives from the Governor’s Auto Theft Task Force searched the space and found two engines and a host of car parts believed to have been stolen.

Murphy had rented the space, police said.

Police placed him under arrest for receiving stolen property over $250, larceny over $250, and possession of a motor vehicle engine with a defaced vehicle identification number, police said.

Police expected to file additional charges for receiving stolen property over $250.