Brothers Charged In Theft Of Congressman's Car

Two brothers who allegedly stole a car belonging to U.S. Rep. William Keating were caught minutes after the former prosecutor heard his car being started in the middle of the night.

Quincy police said Keating called 911 shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday when he heard the sound of a car starting up in his driveway. About two to three minutes later, police spotted Keating's 2001 Lexus and began following it.

The 25-year-old driver, Christopher Babij, pulled into a McDonald's restaurant, where two police cruisers boxed in the car, Quincy police Capt. John Dougan said. Babij demanded to know why he was being arrested, Dougan said. When asked who owned the car he was driving, Babij replied, "It's a rental," according to Dougan.

Babij and his 20-year-old brother, Kenneth Babij, were charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and two counts of breaking and entering - one for breaking into Keating's car and another for breaking into his daughter's Ford Explorer, which also was parked in the driveway. They were scheduled to be arraigned in Quincy District Court on Tuesday.

Keating, a former Norfolk district attorney, was elected to Congress in November. The Democratic lawmaker thanked Quincy police for catching the alleged thieves so quickly.

"For the past 12 years, I worked with the Quincy police and was very impressed with them as a district attorney," he said in a statement. "Today, I am very impressed with them as a resident relying on their services."