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Lawrence inspectors order 68 cars towed from unlicensed repair shop

By Mark E. Vogler
Staff Writer
Published: May 31, 2008

LAWRENCE — Sixty-eight cars and trucks, many without engines and missing parts, were hauled out of a dilapidated mill building near the Falls Bridge yesterday.

Three tow truck companies spent five hours removing the wrecks as owner Eddie Emed Abed, 46, of Newton, stood by helplessly watching his business be shut down by the city.

The investigation, which has the potential to turn criminal, resumes today as police examine the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) to determine if any of the cars are stolen, said police Chief John Romero.

Officials say Abed lacks the proper licenses to run an auto repair shop, dealership or junkyard at his Run-Rite Auto Sales.

"We're running VIN number checks of these vehicles to determine if any of them were stolen, and the investigation is probably going to take us through the weekend," Romero said last night.

"So far, we have found nothing to indicate any of these cars are stolen. But we haven't checked out all the VIN numbers. That could be a bit of a problem, because some these cars have been there for a while — five years or more," he said.

Lawrence police, joined by a team of state troopers from the Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force, City Department of Inspectional Services inspectors and Fire Department inspectors were involved in yesterday morning's crackdown of the unlicensed business at 11 Embankment St. at the intersection of Water Street.

Several agencies cited or planned to issue citations to the property owner and business operator because of "a whole slew of violations involving fire, safety, health and building issues," Romero said.

"He had a license in New Hampshire, but his Massachusetts dealer's license was revoked," Romero said of Abed.

"While we were there, two vehicles he purchased in an auction were delivered to this location, which he couldn't legally do. This is the most vehicles we've found in one location in recent memory. and they were found in different stages of repair and disrepair. We shut down the operation right away," the chief said.

It was an abandoned stolen car recovered across the street — in front of 10 Embankment St. — that got police looking at Abed's property.

"We recently recovered a 2003 Acura Sports model that had been stolen from Tewksbury. The vehicle was completely stripped, with the engine removed as well," Romero said.

"There's nothing to connect this individual to the vehicle. But when you have a vehicle that badly stripped, it generally takes place in the area where it's found. It was that stolen car that brought us there," he said.

There were so many vehicles taken out that the city needed to call in several towing companies to remove them all.

Abed's operation has prompted the attention of police and city inspector Greg Arvanitis previously. Arvanitis had scheduled a meeting yesterday with other agencies to review various noncompliance issues relating to the business license, state license, auto dealer record keeping, and auto repairer record keeping.

City officials had also advised Abed that his property is not zoned to be a Class III junk dealer, auto rebuilder or salvage yard.

When state and local investigators arrived yesterday, they noticed 14 junked cars outside the building, along with assorted debris. None of the cars were in a fenced-in area. There were no work orders and none of the cars appeared to be for sale, police said.

Inside the repair shop area, police said they found the area in complete disarray. That prompted fire department and city inspectors to call for the building to be closed. Fire inspectors cited the property for opened dwelling, trash, failure to remove construction debris and vehicles with an undetermined amount of flammable liquid.

Inspectional Services officials are questioning the safety of the structure and the flooring to support 44 cars. There has been unauthorized construction going on too, they said.

Most of the 44 cars stored inside the building were covered in a thick layer of "dust which also consisted of pigeon feathers and feces," Lawrence police Detective Carl Farrington wrote in his report.

"Two walls of windows were removed and the elements were allowed in. As the wind blows on the windy day, I could feel the floor shaking," he said.

Police said Abed failed to produce any documentation of a license or any proof of ownership or work orders on any vehicle, Farrington noted.

Coady's, Sheehan and Valley Towing had removed all the junked cars by 4:30 p.m.

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