WESTFIELD – A city man, accosted by police, admitted stealing baby formula but pleaded “Please don’t take my weed.”
A caller from an Elm Street drug store had reported at 9:29 a.m. yesterday that a couple in the store with a child in a stroller was shoplifting baby formula.
Patrol officers were alerted and Officer Timothy Fanion, who was working an off-duty road job, reported that a couple who matched the broadcast description had entered a nearby discount store.
Lt. Larry Valliere was in the area and arrived at the store minutes after the crime was reported and found an employee outside the drug store who also said that the suspects had gone in the direction of the discount store.
Valliere reports that he went to the store and found a male party, later identified as Leo J. Poprovo, 42, of 5 Lincoln St., exiting who blurted a confession when he saw the officer.
He next said “Please don’t take my weed” before he told the officer where to find the can of baby formula he stole from the drug store.
A woman pushing a baby in a stroller subsequently exited and three cans of baby formula were found in the stroller.
Poprovo immediately denied stealing the additional formula and said that he was not going to take the blame for that theft.
Both suspects have lengthy criminal histories.
Poprovo’s history dates at least to 1992 and includes admissions of guilt to crimes including assault and for various narcotics charges.
The female party has admitted shoplifting in both the Westfield and Holyoke courts and has also been before the bar in Northampton on charges of larceny by check.
A criminal complaint was filed against the woman for larceny of property valued less than $250.
Poprovo was arrested for the same charge and, during the booking process, was found to be in possession of containers of marijuana along with narcotics paraphernalia.
The “weed” was seized and a city ordinance violation citation was filed.
