Case Dismissed Against Lawrence Official Accused of Lewd Actions in Tewksbury Motel

LOWELL _ An indecent exposure charge against a former Lawrence city engineer was dismissed when the homeless man who accused Theodoro Rosario of a lewd gesture in a Tewksbury motel failed to appear for the trial on Thursday, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

Lowell District Court Judge Stacey Fortes dismissed the charge because prosecutors were unable to go forward with the trial without the alleged victim, according to the Eagle-Tribune.

Rosario, 51, of Lawrence, resigned from his $80,000-a-year job in October 2016 after he was arraigned on a charge of indecent exposure, a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors had alleged that Rosario lured a homeless man to a Tewksbury motel on Jan. 16,2016 with the promise of alcohol, then made lewd gestures and offered the man money to get naked.

According to court documents, Tewksbury police were dispatched at 5:34 a.m. on Jan. 16 to the Motel 6 at 95 Main St. for a report of someone being held against their will in Room 228.

They found a 24-year-old homeless man from Lawrence sitting in a stairwell near Room 228. The man police that another man who identified himself as "Ambriore" exposed himself and made unwanted sexual advances toward him, according to court documents.

The man said he was panhandling outside a 7-11 store in Lawrence when he was approached by Ambriore, who said he had a fight with his wife and had been locked out of the house. Ambriore offered to buy the victim beer and cigarettes to share, the victim told police.

The victim agreed to get into Ambriore's car to "go drink somewhere," then agreeing to go to a hotel because he was homeless and it was freezing outside.

Ambriore got a room with two beds at Motel 6, but once inside Ambriore allegedly removed his pants and began act in a lewd manner and made sexually-suggestive remarks, police allege.

The man told police he rejected the sexual suggestions, and that Ambriore offered him money if he got naked. The victim refused.

The victim left room and returned a few minutes later, asking to use Ambriore's cell phone to get a ride back to Lawrence, but Ambriore refused, police said. The victim walked to the car, attempting to smash a window to retrieve his sleeping bag and his Bible, but was unsuccessful, police said.

Police arrived minutes later, responding to a 911 call from Rosario.

Rosario denied the victim's allegations to police.

For more on this story read the Eagle-Tribune.