Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Stealing Stoughton Donation Box

STOUGHTON (CBS) – Tips from the public helped Stoughton Police track down a man suspected of stealing a donation box with money for veterans.

The donation box was stolen from Seasons Corner Market last week. It had money that was collected for "Boots on the Ground," a veterans organization.

"Obviously we take all crimes seriously, but anything earmarked for veterans and victimizing those men and women, it's pretty shocking," Stoughton Police Lt. John Bonney told WBZ-TV.

Stoughton Police released a surveillance image of the suspect. Several tips were phoned into the department.

Friday night, officers were called to the Lakewood Pines neighborhood for a suspicious man. Police noticed he was wearing the same sneakers, coat, and winter hat as the man in the surveillance photo.

"We got a few tips from other law enforcement agencies that had dealt with him in the past, and we had him in mind, and then when the lieutenant saw him, we put two and two together and realized he was our guy," Bonney said.

Robert Brazeau, 33, of Taunton, was arrested. He is expected to be arraigned Monday morning on a charge of larceny from a building.

Stoughton Veterans' Service Officer Michael Pazyra said Brazeau's actions an "insult" to veterans.

"It's like someone who's not thinking, really. But of course it's an insult to the veterans, for whatever organization that was collecting that money to help the veterans, (for) whatever particular need that they were fulfilling," Pazyra said.