Woonsocket Man Part of Purse Snatching Trio Who Left Snow Tracks For Cops

Fresh snow aided police in Marlborough, MA Sunday as they tracked three alleged purse snatchers — one of them from Woonsocket — who had two pounds of marijuana and a gun in their possession.

Police responded to Beach Street for a disturbance in the street shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Sunday and were told by a woman that three men had just taken her purse. Police set off after the three men, aided by freshly fallen snow, according to court documents.

“They were tracked from the scene with footprints made in the freshly fallen snow that lead to the Holiday Inn parking lot," said Detective Scott DeCiero of the Community Services Bureau of the Marlborough Police Department.

Police found three men in the parking lot who were later identified as Caleb Conrad Pemberton, 30, of 20 June Street Apt. C in Providence RI, Princeton Akins, 20, of 226 Park Place Apt. 3 in Woonsocket RI and Justin Laliberte, 22, of 48 Johnson Street in Framingham, MA.

The men had two pounds of marijuana which Pemberton said the trio had just stolen during a drug deal where they were supposed to buy the drugs for $2,000.

"Caleb, Princeton and Justin came to Marlborough to obtain the drugs for the purpose of selling it for profit," said Marlborough Officer James Gough in his report.

The men were also in possession of a Walther CP99 air pistol, which they told police they had not shown during the alleged drug deal turned robbery, according to court documents.

"[Pemberton's] sneakers matched the footprints that led us to the drugs and gun," said Officer Gough in his report.

The three were arrested on charges of larceny from a person, conspiracy to violate drug laws and possessing class D drugs. They were released on personal recognisance bail on Monday.