Police: Lynn man stole GLSS van, caused three accidents in joyride

LYNN – A judge ordered a mental-health evaluation for a local man police said crashed into three vehicles and injured two people after stealing a senior services van Tuesday afternoon.”Based on our conversation … he doesn’t know why he’s here, doesn’t know what he’s accused of – he thinks it’s for something completely different than what he is accused of,” court-appointed defense attorney Alicia Andrews said in Lynn District Court Wednesday.William Mejia, 21, of 100 Willow St., was arrested and charged with larceny of a motor vehicle; receiving a stolen vehicle; leaving the scene of property damage, two counts; leaving the scene of personal injury; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle; at 4:29 p.m. Tuesday.Mejia appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, but Judge James Wexler held the suspect without bail and without prejudice and continued the arraignment until the court clinician could evaluate Mejia.Police responded to Broad and Washington streets at approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday where a Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) worker reported his van had been stolen while the worker was helping a client, according to a report by Lynn Police Officer Thomas Morley. GPS on the van picked up the vehicle traveling on Sutton Street towards Essex Street, then on N. Common Street towards Western Avenue. Officers located the stolen vehicle traveling fast and erratically turning onto Western Avenue from Light and Summer streets and forced it to stop in traffic near 896 Western Ave., according to police.The driver, later identified as Mejia, got out of the vehicle without incident, police reported.Police said they will download video from cameras on the inside and outside of the van.Three hit-and-run accidents involving the stolen van were reported during this time: at 111 West Neptune St.; 534 Summer St. and in Market Square. In the third incident, an 11 year old and a 6 year old complained of back and shoulder pain after Mejia rear-ended their vehicle, according to police. The crash was hard enough to leave an imprint of the van’s license plate on the other vehicle’s rear bumper, according to the crash report.A court clinician Thursday at a status-review hearing recommended Mejia be sent for a mental-health evaluation. The clinician reported Mejia said he heard voices telling him to do things and had a history of depression and hospitalizations for mental-health reasons.Judge Joseph Jennings ordered Mejia sent for the evaluation. Jennings also said that following the evaluation, the Commonwealth could argue bail for the case and proceed with a motion to revoke the suspect’s bail on an open 2012 case in Cambridge.Mejia is scheduled to return to court April 1.