Two Arrested for Shoplifting from Wellesley Stores

Wellesley Police Department arrested two people in connection with shoplifting at local stores.

Ayela Traverso of Mattapan and Donald Cue of Dorchester were both charged with numerous counts of larceny over $250 and receiving stolen property over $250. 

On Dec. 5, Wellesley Police Officer Mark Carrasquillo stopped a vehicle in Wellesley Square for a motor vehicle infraction around 4 p.m. As Officer Carrasquillo was speaking with Traverso, the operator of the vehicle, he observed new clothing in the vehicle with tags on them, but no associated store bags. Officer Carrasquillo also learned that Traverso had a no trespass order issued by a store in Wellesley Square after a previous shoplifting incident in recent years.

Wellesley Police Detectives Bob Gallagher and Chris Connelly, who were in Wellesley Square at the same time, checked with one of the local store employees. They were trying to determine if there had been any thefts within the last 20 minutes. The store employee then realized that several sets of clothing were missing from the racks. These stolen items were alledely the same items that Officer Carrasquillo observed in the vehicle during the initial stop.

Officer Carrasquillo and detectives then arrested the driver and the passenger of the vehicle for larceny over $250. During a search of the car, the officers located other stolen merchandise from stores in Wellesley. These stores, when contacted by detectives, did not even realize that the merchandise had been taken until the Wellesley Police Department arrived.

Wellesley Police Officers recovered over $5,000 worth of stolen clothing from stores on Central Street and Linden Street in Wellesley. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Ayela Traverso of Mattapan and the passenger, Donald Cue of Dorchester, were both charged with numerous counts of larceny over $250 and receiving stolen property over $250.