HAVERHILL — A replacement trash truck driver for Republic Services faces four felony charges after he was hauled off in handcuffs in the middle of his work shift.
The temp worker, who was hired amid the company’s strike, has been charged in connection with an armed robbery in June in Haverhill.
Stevens Ortiz Acevedo, 27, of Lynn faces armed and masked robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy, and nighttime breaking and entering. He was arrested Aug. 27 in Braintree and arraigned in Haverhill District Court a day later.
The Braintree Police Department received a tip from the Haverhill Police Gang Unit that Ortiz Acevedo was possibly in the area and wanted in connection with a home invasion, according to police reports.
Officers later located his vehicle and determined he was working on a truck for Republic Services – a trash hauler in the region.
Ortiz Acevedo, dressed in a high-visibility yellow vest, was read his rights on the morning of Aug. 27 and placed under arrest while on the job without incident on a warrant issued by Haverhill District Court.
Haverhill police reports state that the defendant and unidentified co-conspirators are accused of breaking into Tommy’s Auto Spa, 97 Locust St., during the early morning of July 1. Investigators said the group broke the front glass door with a brick, and during the break-in, the suspects were confronted by the victim.
The victim was allegedly held at gunpoint and robbed of an iPhone and keys.
After his arraignment, Ortiz Acevedo was held due to dangerousness and returned to court Thursday for a hearing. Judge Susan H. McNeil set cash bail of $2,500 and ordered him to wear a GPS monitoring device.
Other conditions include avoiding contact with the victim, staying away from the victim’s home and workplace, and following a curfew of 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The arrest only heightens tensions between his employer, Republic Services, and about 400 union workers who have been on strike since July 1. The walkout has left 14 communities – most north of Boston – struggling with trash delays, disrupted services and pileups on the sidewalks.
Teamsters Local 25, the union representing the waste collection employees, quit their routes as negotiations over wages and health benefits came to a halt. Republic has relied on replacement drivers such as Ortiz Acevedo to keep the trucks running.
“It’s now been 53 days since the Teamsters employees at Republic Services were forced to strike because of Republic’s refusal to grant them the same wages and benefits enjoyed by Teamster employees at Capital Waste and Star,” Teamsters Local 25 wrote in August. “We are now approaching one of the longest strikes in Teamster Local Union No. 25’s recent history.”
The company’s privacy policy states that all workers undergo preemployment screenings and background checks, including criminal record reviews.
Meanwhile, a class action lawsuit has been filed by another temporary employee. The lawsuit alleges that he and at least 300 other replacement workers were not compensated for the first 90 minutes of each workday.
Ortiz Acevedo is scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause hearing Oct. 3.