Crime & Safety

Verizon Tech Locked in Underground Vault Allegedly by Resident

Howard Cook was 'upset that the technician had parked on his grass,' police say.

A Westborough man allegedly locked a Verizon technician in an underground vault on Monday "because he was upset that the technician had parked on his grass," Police Chief Alan Gordon said Tuesday in a press release.

Howard W. Cook, 71, of 12 Chestnut St., will be summoned to Westborough District Court to face these charges, Gordon said: kidnapping, breaking and entering into a motor vehicle during the daytime, receiving stolen property, and larceny under $250.

The Verizon technician called police around 3:27 p.m. Monday to report he was locked in the vault, in the grass at Research Drive at Connector Road, next to Westboro Self Storage, Gordon said.

"Officer Dean Paine responded and found the top of the vault shut with large rocks placed on top to prevent the technician from exiting the vault," Gordon wrote.

"Officer Paine removed the rocks and opened the hatch. The technician stated that he was working in the vault when a male subject started yelling down at him. The technician stated the subject removed the ladder from inside the vault and then barricaded the cover."

Paine found Cook at Westboro Self Storage, Gordon said.

"He admitted to locking the technician in the vault because he was upset that the technician had parked on his grass," Gordon wrote.

Later, at 7:03 p.m., the technician called police, looking "for his personal keys, which had been taken from his Verizon vehicle," the chief said.

Police called Cook at home, and Cook "admitted to having the keys but refused to return them to the Verizon employee," the chief said.

Officer Greg McRae went to Cook's house and got the keys from Cook's vehicle, the chief said.




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