Quick Work by HPD Dispatcher Helps Identify Suspect
On Saturday, May 4, golfers and employees at Hopkinton Country Club were alarmed to see a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed on the golf cart path, fairways and greens. Several members snapped photos and videos of the car and sent them to Hopkinton Police and HopNews. An HCC employee was nearly hit by the vehicle as it sped around the course.
The hatchback was distinctive in that its front quarterpanel was black, standing in contrast to the all white paint.Â
As the videos and photos rolled in, Hopkinton Dispatcher Robert Savolt went to work. The footage was shot from a distance and was grainy, so the make and model of the car wasn’t obvious right away. Savolt evaluated various makes and models, eventually determining that it was a late model Toyota Matrix. An eyewitness had caught a partial plate, remembering the characters “4” and “G”. Using that information and cross-referencing with the RMV, Savolt was able to produce a list of three potential suspect vehicles: One in Framingham, one in Marlborough, and another in Princeton.
Detective Sergeant Gregg DeBoer hit the road, first checking Framingham and Marlborough, but both were negative finds and the car didn’t match. So DeBoer grabbed a coffee and made the 50 minute drive north to Princeton, MA, where he arrived at the home of Ian Mahoney, age 27.
The vehicle was parked in the driveway.
DeBoer knocked but Mr. Mahoney wouldn’t come to the door. DeBoer then headed to the Princeton Police Department, just 2 minutes down the road. The officers were happy to assist; they knew the home and the car as they drive past it multiple times per day. They were surprised by DeBoer’s findings because Mr. Mahoney isn’t known as a troublemaker in town. One of the Princeton officers was able to get Mr. Mahoney’s father, Gregory, on the phone. “I’ll be home at 5:00,” said the elder Mahoney, promising to bring his son to speak with the officers.
DeBoer and the Princeton officers returned that evening, but Ian Mahoney remained unwilling to speak to them, despite his father’s protest.
DeBoer was certain he had his man, but continued to build the foundational elements of the case. He requested cell phone data, and interviewed an eyewitness at the HCC, who picked Mahoney out of a lineup and positively identified him as the driver of the vehicle.
Over the weekend, Detective DeBoer pulled an arrest warrant and negotiated the terms of a surrender with Mr. Mahoney’s attorney, Geoffrey Spofford. On Monday, May 13, Mahoney voluntarily surrendered, was arrested and arraigned in Framingham District Court. He was released on his own recognizance pending a hearing.
Despite living 40 miles away, Ian Mahoney has previously run afoul of the law in Hopkinton. In 2015, he was arrested by HPD for a suspected OUI. He again faced criminal charges in 2018 for Assault and Battery on a family member, and appeared in Milford District Court. The disposition of those cases is unknown because Mr. Mahoney’s attorney successfully appealed to the court to have the records sealed.
Employees at the Hopkinton Country Club remain confused about why Mr. Mahoney chose that location. He has no obvious ties to the club; he is not a former employee, nor do any current employees know him. The closest connection that can be made is that he once worked in Westborough, so he could have familiarity with the area. Mr. Mahoney’s father confirmed that his son is currently unemployed.
According to Detective DeBoer, the hero of this story is Dispatcher Savolt. “Robbie is a computer whiz,” said DeBoer. “Anytime we have a case that requires accessing a lot of different computer systems, we ask Robbie to dive in. He’s great at that stuff. By the time I showed up to work on Monday morning he had the case built for me.”
DeBoer later sent a letter to Chief Joseph Bennett and Communications Director Meaghan DeRaad praising Savolt.
Detective DeBoer is a really good man. He could not be nicer and more interested in doing the right thing. Reminds me of someone else: Tim Brennan. They are both honorable men who want to do well for the town.
The detective work was all completed by Hopkinton Dispatchers! Probably not part of there contract they should be payed detective salaries. Hopefully no one violated any policy (wouldn’t want them to get terminated.)
Nice job Robert & Gregg !