Man accused of stealing tools while wearing GPS bracelet held without bail

The city man whose GPS ankle bracelet allegedly linked him to a series of thefts was arraigned in District Court Monday on 13 charges and ordered held held in lieu of $3,000 cash bail, according to court documents.

FALL RIVER — The city man whose GPS ankle bracelet allegedly linked him to a series of thefts was arraigned in District Court Monday on 13 charges and ordered held in lieu of $3,000 cash bail, according to court documents.

Brandon Arruda, 28, of 1517 Slade St., is accused of breaking into six equipment trailers and work trucks on King Street, Norman Street, Mount Hope Avenue, Touhey Street and Crawford Street last week.

Police asked the public for help in a Nov. 29 Facebook post after receiving “numerous complaints and reported incident,” wrote Detective Luis Vertentes in an investigative report on file at District Court.

The owner of a landscaping company called police after the post was made. The anonymous tipster told Detective Dwaine Cabeceiras that Arruda, who drove two vehicles, a Volkswagen Beetle and a blue GMC Envoy, tried to sell him stolen tools two days ago.

The tipster told police that he declined Arruda’s offer, and said the suspect wore a GPS ankle monitor because he was on probation.

Surveillance footage provided by the owner of a garage on Crawford Street garage captured images of a person wearing a hoodie and a GPS ankle bracelet breaking into a work truck.

Police cross-checked the location of the break-ins with Arruda’s whereabouts the night that over $3,500 of equipment was stolen.

According to the report, Arruda’s GPS bracelet recorded he was in the “exact same” location as the thefts that occurred the night of Tuesday, Nov. 27, through the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 28.

Police believe Arruda stored the stolen equipment at his girlfriend’s Mount Hope Avenue home.

Arruda was charged with five counts of felony breaking and entering, larceny over $1,200, larceny under $1,200, breaking into a depository, attempting to break into a depository and three counts of vandalism, according to court documents. He is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 7.