Woonsocket Man Bagged after Driving Stolen Car into Woods

WOONSOCKET, RI—An 18-year-old Woonsocket man recently learned the hard way that a stolen Chrysler Sebring isn't going to get you very far when eluding police, especially when driven into the woods.

Jordan Evan Brochu, of 295 High St., is now facing a felony charge of possession of a stolen car, reckless driving and driving without a license after he was arrested Wednesday thanks to a sharp-eyed officer who saw Brochu walking and the stolen car parked nearby at around 1:30 p.m. 

According to a police report, the car was reported stolen out of Cumberland and the officer noticed Brochu and another person walking near Morin Heights by the intersection of Winthrop Street.

The officer, apparently following a bit of intuition, turned his patrol car around and soon saw the stolen Chrylser parked in the Morin Heights lot.

A short time later, detectives soon watched Brochu get in the car and drive off.

Police tried to stop the car, but Brochu reportedly gave chase.

More police began to follow but "Brochu did not stop and instead drove faster" toward Linden Avenue.

"We followed but saw that instead of proceeding onto Linden, Brochu went off road and in between buildings on a grass area," according to the report. "Dust was in the air as he cut through buildings."

The chase occurred during sunny, warm weather when "many people were outside of their homes, including children," police said.

Police did not follow Brochue around the buildings, an area described in the report as "a tight, residential area where bystanders could have been hurt or killed."

Instead, police turned around and went to an area they believed he would attempt to flee: the basketball and courts and office area."

Police eventually captured Brochu as they fled from the stolen car behind the Morin Heights property management office area.

Police said Brochu was with a juvenile during the incident and that child was also charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and later released to his guardian.

Brochu is now cooling his heels at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston after appearing in court on Thursday to answer to the charges. He was ordered held without bail as a violator due to pending breaking and entering charges filed against him by Woonsocket police in January.

Court records show that Brochu will return to court on June 8 for a hearing and Aug. 1 for a prearraignment disposition conference.