A man on Massachusetts State Police Most Wanted list was apprehended in Lakewood’s West Gate development today.
The suspect, recently added to the Massachusetts State Police Most Wanted Fugitives list, was captured this afternoon in Lakewood after the MSP Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (MSP VFAS) and US Marshals developed information that he was hiding there.
Stephen C. Cote, 47, was arrested by New Jersey officers as he got out of a vehicle in the parking lot of the West Gate apartment complex.
Recently, MSP VFAS Troopers and US Marshals in Springfield developed information about Cote’s location and the vehicle he might be driving and forwarded it to the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Members of that Task Force began working the case and today set up surveillance outside the apartment complex where Cote was believed to be staying. After several hours of surveillance, Task Force members, who were working with US Marshals and officers from the New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Department of Criminal Justice, were rewarded when Cote drove into the lot in the suspected vehicle, parked, and exited.
Task Force members positively identified Cote and placed him into custody on an outstanding warrant.
Cote was wanted the Massachusetts State Police, the Northampton Police Department, and federal law enforcement authorities for receipt of material involving exploitation of minors. An arrest warrant for Cote was issued in November 2015, but Cote went on the run at that time and has been sought ever since.
MSP VFAS Troopers added Cote to the Department’s list of Most Wanted Fugitives on June 25.
Cote will be held until his arraignment in federal court in the near future.
Did he live in West Gate?
Does he live there??
Yes he lived there according to the article. He might have staying there.
How did he get away with living in west Gate, he dressed up like a Jew???
It’s an honor to have such esteemed neighbors!
Wonder which slum lord brought this guy in.
he looks like the guy who stays with joe the maintenance guy
I thought Westgate is far ‘unzere’. ????
So the Massachusetts police came all the way to Westgate?
How comforting…
WOW JOW THE ANTISEMITE WAS HOUSING THIS GUY!! AND WESTAGTE STILL NEVER FIRED JOE…. I AM CONTACTING A LAWYER TOMOROW TO SUE WESTGATE ON OUR BEHALF. IT HAS BECOME A DANGEROUS PLACE AND WE DESERVE BETTER
from people who live in Westgate they say he was living by someone there for the past 2 years.
Yes in westgate.yes by super Joe. Saw him every day.
Wow very scary. This man was charged with extremely heinous crimes against children in Massachusetts and he chooses to hide out in a close knit development in Lakewood, known to have many young innocent precious children. Like I said very scary. Lets hope and pray he didn’t do anything to them.
But a few questions need to be answered. How did he find this ‘hideout’ in Westgate? Its not exactly well known in Massachusetts. Did he know someone there who he possibly paid to hide him from the authorities?
Anyone with any pertaining information about him must immediately come forward to the police and tell them. This arrest is being published across multiple media accounts and we must teach the criminals a clear lesson: Lakewood is not a place to hide from the cops.
If you come here, we the community will have you arrested and prosocuted to the full extent of the law.
It’s against the lease to have someone living in the apartment without notifying the landlord. I’m pretty sure if JOE would have notified the landlord this guy would have never passed they’re background check.
HEY HEY HO HO WESTGATE’s JOE HAS GOT TO GO!
As big criminals say the best place to hide is amongst ultra Orthodox Jews check out what Redoine Faid the French Gangster who just escaped last month said in a biography a couple of years ago..
Who is Joe????
Wow how insane and how scary. Hope there were no incidents with children in this development.
Westgate probably has the biggest concentration of children in one place in America.
Oh my gosh!!! That is so scary, he was always so nice to my kids, he gave them candies and toys for Chanuka!! I’m so scared! Please everyone ask your kids if he befriended them.
Pretty cool that they got him. Sad that west gate management didn’t pick up on this and lack of proper background screening will definitely help matters. If you manage an apartment complex, it’s your responsibility to do a thorough background check on your tenants and ALL of their adult occupants.
If Joe knew he was a fugitive, can’t he be arrested for harboring a fugitive ????
Did Joe know he was harboring a fugitive?
Where di he work?
I will be suing Westgate as well.
But they will only learn via increased vacancies. Otherwise they clearly couldn’t care less.
B”H we were protected all that time from this beast living in our midst. Chasdei H”!
Westgate Management is really bad. They have almost no oversight. The grounds are constantly a mess. They blame everything on the client. It’s a matter of a time before there is a class action against them
Harboring a fugitive is a criminal offense… Whoever had him should be arrested as well.
To the last comment-one should not make any assumptions. A Lakewood therapist one said parents in Westgate need to be extra vigilant with educating their children regarding stranger danger because as a therapist treating Lakewood children she said it was an increase of cases related to things that happened in a Westgate. There is a big mix of occupants and an intense concentration of children often under lax supervision.
did he work int he pizza store?
This creep has a tattoo of the name “Amber” as in Amber Alert for missing children. Sub-human. Accomplices who aid and abet will also appear in Federal Court. You can say good bye to this guy Joe. Wonder what’s on his computer and cell phone. Nice to kids? These types never change. They are hated by inmates in with a vengeance.
They should take the managment of Westgate to a Din Torah. As far as I’m concerned it’s Osser to live in Such a place!
This isn’t a joke!
Anyone have contact info for WG management?
Express your feelings to them
I called westgate office this morning and the manager had no idea what I was referring to. They don’t know that these maintenance guys have other ppl staying with them. The office plays the game.
This should teach us a lesson that we all should be watching our children when they are playing outside.
Westgate office denied knowing anything. How dumb do they think their tenants are! If Joe isn’t fired by Monday, a petition to have him fired will be started. Following by a lawsuit if necessary.
I’m not from westgate nor am I affiliated with wg managment.
but I am a real estate manager
How in the world should wg management know that their employee Joe, is harboring another roommate?
Seriously, I understand your anger, but think b4 u blame them
Westgate office never knows anything…. they play dumb… TRUST ME they know EVERYTHING!!! And if tHey don’t know anything that is also a problem! Sue sue sue! Thats the only thing that talks to them! They evict peopl for having a grill but to house a most wanted criminal is ok. Not a grounds for eviction. BEYOND RIDICULOUS
It’s funny how people’s vocabularies sky rocket when they post comments.