Unlocking a mystery: Safe found in trunk

Suspect arrested; police search for the owner

Police pulled over a car on Dorchester Avenue yesterday after seeing a large safe jutting out from the trunk. The vehicle and safe were driven back to the District 6 station. The safe did not have any serial numbers, and police plan to seek a warrant to gain access to it. (George Rizer/Globe Staff)

Police knew something was wrong when they spotted a massive safe jutting out of the trunk of a Ford Taurus on Dorchester Avenue in South Boston just before 10 a.m. yesterday, tied to the car with rope.

Within hours, a 24-year-old South Boston man, James Cotter Jr., was charged with receiving stolen property. Cotter contended he found the safe at a Dorchester Avenue address the night before, left it at a friend's house, and they later decided to return it, according to police reports. Police stopped the men on the return trip.

Cotter gave conflicting statements to police, but acknowledged he tried to open the safe, according to police reports. Some time overnight Monday, he allegedly told one friend that it belonged to a dead uncle. He brought it to another friend, who told him to get rid of it, the reports said.

One of the friends was using his mother's car to help return the safe when they drew the attention of local residents, who called police.

Cotter allegedly fled the area before police could arrive, but he was later brought in for questioning and arrested.

He later told police that he found the safe in a garage, and acknowledged he tried to open it with tools, according to police reports.

Police still do not know who owns the safe, which was described as gray, about 3 feet by 2 feet, with a hole in the rear of the casement. The safe did not have any serial numbers, and police plan to seek a warrant to gain access to it.