LITTLETON — An Acton man is accused of breaking into a Littleton commercial property twice in one week and stealing a Kubota tractor and Gravely lawnmower worth a combined $75,000.
The Littleton Police Department identified Gary Hamel Jr., 36, as a suspect in two break‑ins at a Nagog Hill Road business. Police said someone forced their way into the property on July 13 and stole a Gravely mower valued at about $5,000. Five days later, on Saturday, officers conducting a proactive patrol found the door damaged again — and this time, a Kubota tractor worth about $70,000 was missing.
After an investigation by Littleton detectives and officers working with the Acton Police identified Hamel as a suspect, police obtained an arrest warrant from Ayer District Court on Monday. Officers from Littleton, Acton, Pepperell and Leominster located Hamel in Leominster the next morning and arrested him at about 7 a.m.
Police said in a press release on Tuesday that the Kubota tractor has been recovered, and investigators “expect to recover the Gravely mower within days.”
The department said it is also investigating several other break‑ins reported over the past two months. Patrols have been increased in the areas of George Street, Laura Street, Christina Street, Foster Street, Great Road and Edsel Road, which remain under active investigation.
The Littleton Police will hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Littleton Council on Aging, at 33 Shattuck St., to update residents and answer questions about the investigation, and to share safety recommendations.
Community members who cannot attend but have information or concerns are encouraged to call the Littleton Police at 978‑540‑2300. Police added that anyone who witnesses suspicious activity should contact police immediately.
“The Littleton Police Department is committed to keeping the community informed and involved, and we want to share information and some basic safety measures that community members can take to help us and protect themselves,” said Littleton Police Chief Douglas Landry said in the release. “I want to commend the officers and detectives involved in all of our ongoing investigations, and I look forward to engaging with community members.”
Hamel was arraigned on Tuesday in Ayer District Court and held on $1,000 cash bail. He is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial conference on Aug. 13.
His attorney, James Tabner, was not immediately available for comment.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
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