Manchester Man Arrested Driving A Car That Was Reported Stolen With A Dog In It

LONDONDERRY, NH — Londonderry police responded to a pickup truck abandoned in a driveway in their town on Monday.

Police quickly located the pickup truck that had been reported stolen from Second Street in Manchester. The pickup, which sustained damage from an apparent accident, was unoccupied. Officers searched the area for people that reportedly fled from the truck.

A short time later, a red Scion was stolen from Londonderry and an Australian Shepard was in the car when it was stolen. Through an investigation, it was determined the vehicle was taken by a black man and a white woman.

Londonderry police learned the owner of the Scion left her cell phone in the vehicle and began to track it. The vehicle was driven to Manchester and was in the area of Goffs Falls Road and then onto South Willow Street.

Londonderry police notified Manchester while Londonderry police continued to track the phone and saw the vehicle was headed onto Interstate 293 south. Officers began to follow it as the vehicle traveled South onto I-93.

Police did a high-risk stop on I-93 just north of Exit 4 — with officers surrounding the car with weapons drawn and a police K-9 unit. The driver was ordered out of the car and the car was searched for others.

Watch as a driver of a stolen vehicle is apprehended:

Calvin Atwood, 48, listed as living at the Families In Transition Shelter at 199 Manchester St., was removed from the vehicle and placed into custody. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found around the driver's seat of the car, according to police. The vehicle was impounded and towed to the Londonderry Police Department for further search of the vehicle.

The Australian Shepard belonging to the victim appeared uninjured and after further evaluation at the police station, it was released to the owner.

Atwood was charged with receiving stolen property with over $1,501 in value, transport of drugs in a motor vehicle, possession of schedule 1 controlled drugs, and operating without a valid license.

Court records show Atwood was arrested three times in 2021 — including two involving felon-in-possession charges and a drug-related charge. In February, he plead guilty to a drug possession charge and was sentenced to nine months in Hillsborough County Corrections, all were suspended for one year. He also was fined $434 which was suspended for 2 years.

Atwood was held overnight at the Rockingham County Jail and was scheduled to be arraigned in Rockingham County Court Tuesday.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news