State Police Track Violent Fugitive to Departing Plane, Make Arrest Moments Before Take-Off

Massachusetts State Police this afternoon boarded an airliner moments before it was scheduled to take off from Logan Airport and arrested a passenger wanted for assaulting and terrorizing a woman last week in Taunton.

State Police assigned to the department's fugitive unit and its airport barracks tracked JOSE TORRES-RIVERA, 30, of Taunton to a Jet Blue Airlines flight that was scheduled to depart Logan for Puerto Rico at 2:10 p.m. A State Police Sergeant and two Troopers boarded the flight as it was preparing to roll back from the gate and apprehended TORRES-RIVERA. TORRES-RIVERA was arrested on a warrant charging him with kidnapping, assault and battery, and violating an abuse prevention order.

Evidence suggests that TORRES-RIVERA, armed with a knife, broke into his victim's Taunton apartment shortly after midnight on July 31. He allegedly hit the woman repeatedly in front of her two children and threatened to stab her. TORRES-RIVERA also took the woman's cell phone and would not let her or her children leave the apartment. Later in the day, he allowed her to leave when she said she needed diapers for her children. When she left the apartment, she went to a fast food restaurant in Taunton, from where she called police. Taunton Police were unable to locate TORRES-RIVERA and obtained an arrest warrant in Taunton District Court.

The State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section began searching for TORRES-RIVERA, and by this afternoon had tracked his route of flight to the apartment of one of his relatives in Taunton. Although family members were initially uncooperative, Troopers interviewed people who live and work near the apartment and learned that TORRES-RIVERA had left the relative's apartment carrying a suitcase this morning. Troopers also learned that TORRES-RIVERA had made statements that he was going to Puerto Rico. Further investigation revealed that the suspect was scheduled to fly out of Logan Airport this afternoon.

Fugitive unit Troopers contacted Troop F, the State Police Troop that has jurisdiction over Logan. Troopers assigned to the Logan barracks determined that TORRES-RIVERA was seated on the Boston-to-Puerto Rico flight, boarded the plane immediately, and took him into custody.
The suspect will be held overnight by Taunton Police and is expected to be arraigned tomorrow in Taunton District Court.