A Massachusetts man who police say drove to Madison last week looking for a 17-year-old boy he met in an online game had an arsenal of weapons, restraints and rubber gloves in his vehicle when he was arrested Friday, Massachusetts State Police said.
"We feel extremely lucky that we've avoided a homicide," Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said Wednesday.
Police also are crediting the boy's mother, whom DeSpain said "played a significant role in preventing her son from being victimized, injured or killed."
The son was 16 when he met Trevor L. Lucas, 21, of Gloucester playing the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft, DeSpain said.
According to a criminal complaint, about a year ago, Lucas asked the son for nude photos of himself. The son notified Madison police and put Lucas on an "ignore list" for the game. The complaint said Lucas then sent the son messages threatening to hurt him if he didn't pay back money Lucas claimed to have spent on him in the game.
When Lucas came to her Madison home Aug. 26, according to the complaint, Lucas told the mother he was with the National Security Recruiting Department and needed to speak with her son. She then asked for identification, and called police while Lucas went to his vehicle.
While police were en route, DeSpain said, Lucas returned to the house and pulled a gun on the woman, then fled when she pushed the door closed and screamed.
On Friday, Lucas was charged in Dane County Circuit Court with second-degree recklessly endangering safety and impersonating a peace officer to aid in the commission of a crime, both felonies.
Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Michael Popovics said Lucas had four semi-automatic hand guns - two of which were loaded - along with four loaded, large-capacity magazines, two stun guns, three pepper spray containers, two assault knives, two expandable police batons and seven sets of handcuffs when he was arrested on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Weston, about 10 minutes outside of Boston, Friday afternoon.
Lucas also had two rolls of duct tape, a large number of plastic tie wraps that could be used as restraints, a set of professional lock-picking tools, a compass and two flashlights, along with rubber gloves and a large number of plastic bags, Popovics said.
Lucas was out on bail for several felony firearms and ammunition violations in Massachusetts, where this week he was charged with additional weapons violations.
Madison police will be meeting with federal authorities to determine if federal charges will be filed, DeSpain said.
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