New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“In the early morning hours of April 10, 2024, Trooper Nehme Rizk, a member of the State Police-Millbury Barracks, was conducting patrol on Harding Street in Worcester. It was then, that Trooper Rizk observed a White Ford Escape in front of him fail to stop for a stop sign.
Trooper Rizk conducted a traffic stop of the Ford and approached the operator, who provided a Massachusetts driver’s license. Trooper Rizk engaged the passenger in conversation and saw the grip of a pistol with an inserted magazine, protruding from a pocket of a bag on the passenger’s lap. Trooper Rizk returned to his cruiser and radioed for backup. Trooper Rizk was quickly joined on scene by Troopers Taylor Powers, Brady Grunewald, and Erick Zelayandia. Troopers Rizk and Powers then returned to the passenger side of the vehicle.
Trooper Rizk again located the bag, previously on the passenger’s lap, and saw it had been placed between the operator and passenger. With a suspected firearm improperly stored and unsecured inside the bag, Trooper Rizk was able to remove the bag from the vehicle for the safety of those on scene. The two men were removed from the vehicle, handcuffed, and seated in the rear of separate cruisers.
The passenger, later identified as LUIS ORTIZ, 31, of Worcester, repeatedly offered different identities and dates of birth when asked to identity by Troopers. When Troopers demanded ORTIZ’s license to carry a firearm, he refused to do so as he did not have one. Troopers removed the object from the bag and determined it to be a fully loaded Glock 23 Gen5 pistol holding 11 rounds of ammunition. With the discovery of the Glock, Trooper Rizk placed ORTIZ under arrest. The driver of the vehicle was issued a citation for failing to stop for the stop sign and was released with the Ford from the scene.
Trooper Rizk transported ORTIZ in the rear of his cruiser to the Millbury Barracks. Several times during the ride, ORTIZ kicked and punched the cruiser’s rear window. ORTIZ then threatened to kill Trooper Rizk multiple times. Upon arrival to the Millbury barracks, ORTIZ refused to allow Troopers to remove him from the cruiser and threatened to fight and kill the Troopers.
During the booking process, ORTIZ was positively identified. ORTIZ continued to threaten to kill the Troopers during the booking process. ORTIZ’s true identity was confirmed through the fingerprinting process.
LUIS ORTIZ was arraigned in Worcester District Court on charges of:
01. Possession Of A Firearm;
02. Possession Of Ammunition Without FID;
03. Possession Of A Large Capacity Weapon Or Feeding Device;
04. Carrying A Loaded Firearm;
05. Improper Storage Of A Firearm;
06. Furnishing False Name;
07. Threat To Commit A Crime; and
08. Failure To Wear A Seatbelt.”-Massachusetts State Police.
