Police Report

Compiled by SCOTT MERZBACH

Published on September 25, 2009

Amherst Police

* A 54-year-old Leverett man was issued a $300 fine for an illegal burn and a Leverett woman was issued a $100 fine for violating the town's noise bylaw after police responded to a loud party and bonfire at a North Pleasant Street home Monday at 10:23 p.m.

Police said the residents were uncooperative in turning down a loud stereo and were rude toward officers. When firefighters got to the scene to extinguish the large bonfire in the back yard, party-goers were disrespectful toward them, as well.

* Police received a report Monday at 2:39 p.m. from a man who said he was confronted at knife-point during the weekend. Police said they are not yet providing details about where the robbery occurred in Amherst or whether anything was stolen from the man.

* Loud parties in residential neighborhoods, people walking on streets with open containers of alcohol and Cops in Shops details led police to arrest or summon to court more than 30 people during the last weekend of summer.

On Sept. 18 at 11:14 p.m., police responded to a Blue Hills Road home, where a loud keg party was taking place.

William Grogan, 20, of Blue Hills Road, Ford W. Frick, 20, of Amesbury, and Patrick M. Nevins, 20, of Hingham, were all arrested on charges of being minors in possession of alcohol, violating the town's noise bylaw and violating the town's keg bylaw, while Alexandra L. Kinney, 20, of Franklin, was arrested on a charge of being a minor in possession of alcohol, police said.

Another big party was located Sunday at 12:07 a.m. on Cosby Avenue. Connor M. Gildea and Ben L. Smyrlian, both 20 and of Reading, and Nicholas MacDonald and Timothy J. Nash, both 20 and of Shrewsbury, were all arrested on charges of violating the town's noise bylaw, being minors in possession of alcohol and violating the town's keg bylaw, police said.

Stephanie Mulder, 20, of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., was arrested Sept. 19 at 12:41 a.m. on charges of being a minor in possession of alcohol, violating the town's open container bylaw and disguising herself to obstruct justice after providing a fake name to police, police said.

William E. Anderson, 19, of Vernon, Conn., Anass D. Dorani, 18, of New York, N.Y., and Michael J. O'Connell, 18, of Medway, were all arrested Sept. 19 at 10:55 p.m. on charges of being minors in possession of alcohol, violating the town's open container bylaw and illegal dumping, with Dorani also arrested on a charge of possession of a fake ID, police said.

Daniel J. Meyers, 24, of Voorhees, N.J., was arrested Sunday at 2:15 a.m. on charges of violating the town's open container bylaw disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer after he twice fought with officers as they tried to place him under arrest, police said.

During the weekend, police also arrested or summoned to court eight people for violating the town's open container bylaw, four for being minors in possession of alcohol and violating the open container bylaw, one for being a minor in possession of alcohol and three for violating the noise bylaw.

During Cops in Shops operations at three package stores, police arrested or summoned to court six people for being minors in possession of alcohol, one person for being a minor in possession of alcohol and possession of a fake ID and two people for procuring alcohol for minors.

To follow Bulletin police reports through the court system, visit www.amherstbulletin.com

* Chad J. Arango, 21, of Voorhees, N.J., was arrested Sunday at 1:45 a.m. on North Pleasant Street on a charge of larceny under $250 after he was found walking with a sign board belonging to Bart's Homemade, police said.

* A 37-year-old Amherst woman will be summoned to court on a charge of assault and battery after she punched her roommate in the shoulder at a South Amherst home in an incident reported Sept. 19 at 10:45 a.m., police said.

* Jake J. Darcy, 21, of Hubbardston, was arrested Sept. 19 at 1:13 a.m. outside the police station on a charge of disorderly conduct after he was found urinating against the Main Street building, police said.

* Brandon M. Albano, 19, of Danvers, was arrested Sept. 18 at 11:50 p.m. on North Pleasant Street on a charge of possession of a class D substance marijuana, with intent to distribute, police said.

* Aaron R. McNair, 39, of Village Park, was arrested Sept. 18 at 10:11 a.m. at an Amherst location on a charge of domestic assault and battery causing serious bodily injury after he punched a woman in the face, breaking her eye socket, police said.

The woman was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for surgery, police said.

* Roland Claudomir and Eugene Montague, both 22 and of Brandywine Apartments, were both arrested Sept. 18 at 3:10 a.m. at their home on charges of violating the town's noise bylaw, police said.

Police took both men into custody after going to their home at 2:41 a.m., issuing them a warning for having a small party with a loud stereo. The noise then resumed immediately after officers left the scene.

* Police are investigating an incident in which two University of Massachusetts students were assaulted at their home on Sunset Avenue early on the morning of Sept. 18.

Police sent several officers to break up the disturbance at 1:05 a.m. and found one man with significant cuts and bruises and the other with severe facial injuries. The man with facial injuries is at a hospital receiving medical treatment, police said, but his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.

It is unknown what type of weapon was used to inflict the injuries.

Police said they are looking for a man described as being college-age, white and with his brown hair fashioned into a Mohawk-style haircut.

UMass police are providing assistance in the investigation.

Anyone with information about what happened should call police are 259-3000 or the department's tip line at 259-3344.

* Homemade compact discs, a car owner's manual and Registry of Motor Vehicle documents were reported stolen Sept. 17 at 2:48 p.m. from a vehicle parked on Nutting Avenue, police said. There were no signs of forced entry to the vehicle.

* Jonathan D. Potvin, 22, of Winchendon, was arrested Sept. 17 at 1:14 a.m. on East Pleasant Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, defective license plate light and operating a motor vehicle with no inspection sticker, police said.

* The faceplate and head unit for a car stereo in a vehicle parked on Bedford Court were reported stolen Sept. 16 at 6:59 p.m. The car owner told police the vehicle had been left unlocked.

* A bicyclist lost control of his bicycle while traveling on Triangle Street and went across the intersection with Main Street into the brick wall of a building at on Main Street Sept. 15 at 7:29 p.m. The man suffered non-life threatening head injuries and was transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for treatment, police said.

* Scott Richard, 30, who provided an address as the streets of Massachusetts, was arrested Sept. 15 at 6:16 p.m. on Stanley Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, subsequent offense, speeding and on a default warrant, police said.

* The town's animal welfare officer is seeking assistance in locating a dog that allegedly knocked over a woman while she was walking on the Wentworth Conservation Trail off Old Farm Road in May.

Carol Hepburn said that the incident occurred on May 11 between 8 and 8:30 a.m. The woman was knocked over and broke her ankle, and was brought to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton for treatment. She has since had extensive surgery on the ankle.

The woman described the dog as large and white with poodle-like hair and a long tail.

No report was filed at the time, but Hepburn said she hopes someone might remember the incident and provide her details about happened. Anyone with information about the incident can call her and make an anonymous tip at 413-478-7084.

* Between Sept. 15 and Sept. 22, police recovered seven wallets, a cell phone, a cash register, a license plate, an ID, a credit card and a camera and took reports of a lost wallet, a lost set of keys and a lost eyeglass case. Police checked the well being of eight residents, provided three courtesy escorts and an escort for two funerals, checked for speeding vehicles on South East Street, Pine Street, East Pleasant Street, Amity Street, West Pomeroy Lane, Sunset Avenue and Fearing Street, and stopped vehicles on Amherst streets and issued one warning for operating with no license plate, one warning for operating with a malfunctioning license plate light, one warning for operating with a malfunctioning taillight, one warning for illegally passing a school bus, two warnings for operating with equipment violations, five warnings for failure to stay within marked lanes, one warning for failure to stop at a red light, one warning for having a passenger on a motorcycle without a helmet, two warnings for operating without headlights, one warning for failure to use a directional, one warning for operating with a suspended registration and one warning for traveling in the wrong lane on Sunset Avenue.

Police responded to false alarms at nine businesses, four residences and the Jewish Community Center and checked on vehicles parked on Kamins Circle, Hunter Hill Circle, East Pleasant Street, Montague Road and Old Farm Road and at Amethyst Brook Conservation Area, Colonial Village and Mount Pollux Conservation Area.

Hadley Police

* Adam L. Bressette, 24, of Indian Orchard, was arrested Sept. 12 at 2:15 a.m. on Route 9 on charges of operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license and speeding, police said.

* John Donaldson, 26, of Northampton, was arrested Sept. 11 at 8:37 p.m. at Hampshire Mall on a charge of shoplifting, police said.

* Vehicles driven by Kevin T. Nguyen, 37, of Enfield, Conn., and Patricia R. Gantes, 43, of Northampton, collided on Route 9 Sept. 11 at 3:05 p.m., police said.

Tovan Nguyen, 35, and a passenger in Kevin Nguyen's vehicle, suffered minor injuries in the accident and was transported by Amherst Fire Department ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where she was treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

UMass Police

* Joshua V. Ononibaku, 19, of Tamarack Drive, Amherst, was arrested Sunday at 5:24 p.m. at Washington dormitory on a charge of disorderly conduct, police said.

* A man wielding a knife and making threatening gestures with it while asking passers-by for money and cigarettes was arrested outside Crampton dormitory on the UMass campus early Sunday morning.

Brendan J. Daddario, 19, of Medford, was arrested at 2:40 a.m. on three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and two counts of armed assault to rob, police said.

UMass Deputy Police Chief Patrick Archbald said Tuesday that a uniformed officer on bike patrol was approached by four people who stated a man standing on the east side of Crampton on Sunset Avenue had just pulled a knife on them and demanded money and cigarettes.

Two more people told the officer the same man had pulled a knife on them but didn't ask for anything, while a third group of individuals who came up to the officer said the man demanded they give him cigarettes.

Other police units were called to the scene and Daddario, who is not a student at the university, was located and was observed throwing a knife over a cement wall.

The folding knife, 9 inches in length with a serrated edge, was recovered by police.

No one was injured as a result of the incident and no money or cigarettes were stolen, but Daddario was arrested because he had placed several people in fear, Archbald said.

* Justin Root, 20, of Winsted, Conn., was arrested Sunday at 2:11 a.m. outside John Adams dormitory on a charge of disorderly conduct, police said.

* Geoffrey D. Dorenzo, 23, of Upton, was arrested Sept. 19 at 3:40 a.m. on Commonwealth Avenue on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, failure to stay within marked lanes, unsafe operation of a motor vehicle and speeding, police said.

* Michael C. Neff, 18, of South Boston, was arrested Sept. 19 at 3 a.m. on Massachusetts Avenue on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and speeding, police said.

* Catherine R. Adams, 21, of Longmeadow, was arrested Sept. 19 at 1:47 a.m. on North Pleasant Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and failure to stay within marked lanes, police said.

Day-by-Day Amherst Police Calls

MONDAY, SEPT. 14

DISTURBANCES

* 4:57 p.m. - A woman allegedly struck two people in the area of the post office bus stop on North Pleasant Street. The woman was found yelling at passers-by, but denied hitting anyone.

LARCENY

* 8:26 a.m. - A green Volkswagen reported stolen from Bedford Court was located at Alpine Commons. Police are investigating the incident.

* 10:13 a.m. - Police took a report that care keys were stolen from a vehicle parked near the Big Y Supermarket.

VANDALISM

* 10:19 a.m. - A fence outside a Lincoln Avenue home was damaged when it was struck by a vehicle.

BREAK-INS

* 2:51 p.m. - A wallet containing an ID and bank cards was reported stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked at Colonial Village. The person canceled the debit cards before they could be used.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 9 a.m. - One driver was issued a citation for failure to use care in stopping following a minor two-car accident with no personal injuries on Sunderland Road, police said.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 1:03 a.m. - Bicyclists going in and out of driveways and side streets off Pine and North Pleasant streets were reported to police. The men were located and told police they were just completing a "midnight ride."

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

* 6:17 p.m. - A downtown resident told police that her neighbor has been placing caution tape and stakes around her vehicle and notes on the vehicle in an effort to prevent her from parking on grass outside her home. The neighbor said he was concerned the woman's vehicle is damaging the beauty of the neighborhood. Police warned the neighbor to call parking enforcement officials if the woman is parking her vehicle illegally.

LARCENY

* 6:38 p.m. - A UMass student who stole a pregnancy test kit from the CVS Pharmacy on North Pleasant Street was issued a trespass order by store management and advised to use services available to her at the UMass Infirmary.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 7:18 a.m. - Joshua Plotke, 27, of Simi Valley, Calif., was issued a citation for failure to stop/yield at a red light after the vehicle he was driving at the corner of North Pleasant and Pine streets collided with a vehicle driven by Dianne R. Gallo, 52, of January Hills Road, Shutesbury, police said.

Gallo's vehicle was towed, but no personal injuries were reported, police said.

* 5:23 p.m. - A vehicle parked on Summer Street sustained minor damage when it was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle, police said.

* 6:54 p.m. - A bicyclist who may have been struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Amity Street and Sunset Avenue flipped over the handlebars and landed on the ground, police said.

The bicyclist and vehicle both left the scene before police got there, police said.

* 9:28 p.m. - A vehicle struck and killed a horse that got loose from a Station Road farm, police said.

An infant riding in the vehicle was checked by Amherst Fire Department ambulance personnel as a precaution.

The vehicle had to be towed from the scene, while the owner of the horse, a Hampshire College student, was notified about the incident.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 3:57 a.m. - A homeless man sleeping inside an ATM on Amity Street was sent on his way.

* 1:31 p.m. - A baby was reported left alone in a vehicle parked in the Amity Street parking lot. When police got there, both parents came back to car and told police they were watching the baby from the area of the Amherst Cinema.

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

* 8:45 p.m. - Police assisted a bicyclist who fell from his bike on College Street near Boltwood Avenue after experiencing problems with the front wheel. The man went to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton with a head injury, even though he had been wearing a helmet.

VANDALISM

* 2:06 a.m. - A porta-potty set up near Crocker Farm School was found tipped over by vandals.

BREAK-INS

* 3:26 p.m. - A vacant apartment at The Boulders was entered through a cut screen. Police are investigating.

* 6:26 p.m. - Amity Street residents reported someone attempted to break into the home after furniture was found moved around on the porch and a handle on the back door was bent.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 10:07 p.m. - A skunk which got its head stuck in a bottle was heard wandering around a Fearing Street yard.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 1:41 p.m. - A vehicle parked at Puffton Village was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle sometime overnight, police said.

TRAFFIC

* 6:46 p.m. - A man crawling across North Pleasant Street was warned about his behavior.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

DISTURBANCES

* 5:02 a.m. - Police kept the peace at a South Amherst home where a man was being loud and refused to quiet down. The man was fine after his wife convinced him to resume taking his medication.

* 7:44 p.m. - Police calmed down two women who got into a verbal altercation on a PVTA bus in North Amherst. One alleged the other was stalking her.

LARCENY

* 11:35 a.m. - A Dell Latitude computer valued at $852 was reported stolen from the middle school sometime in July.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 8:16 a.m. - A squirrel was found inside a janitor's closet at the pre-school on Spring Street. The squirrel seemingly fled, but the animal got back inside the building at 11:37 a.m.

* 4:01 p.m. - A person brought a loose dog found in downtown Amherst to the police station.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 7:44 a.m. - Carlos Velez, 22, of Springfield, was issued a citation for failure to use care in stopping after the vehicle he was driving on East Pleasant Street rearended a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian driven by Scott E. Perkins, 40, of Hillside Drive, South Deerfield, police said.

Damage to both vehicles was minor, and no personal injuries were reported, police said.

* 7:18 p.m. - Brandon D. Collier, 23, of Lakewood, Ohio, was issued a citation for failure to use care in stopping after the vehicle he was driving at the intersection of Amity Street and University Drive rearended a vehicle driven by Jung W. Kim, 28, of Northampton Road, which in turn was pushed into a vehicle driven by Robert J. Kuzmeski, 44, of Kennedy Drive, Hadley, police said.

Jinhye Bae, 28, of The Boulders and a passenger in Kim's vehicle, complained of pain to her ribs and back and was transported by Amherst Fire Department ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton for treatment.

Collier and Kim's vehicles were both towed from the scene, according to police.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 18

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 9:24 a.m. - A homeless man located with his belongings in a South Prospect Street yard was sent on his way. The man told police he had slept in a box overnight.

DISTURBANCES

* 10:46 a.m. - A woman kicked a vehicle passing the corner of College Street and Boltwood Avenue when it didn't stop for a pedestrian.

ASSAULTS

* 12:17 a.m. - A man suffered a cut to his ear, but refused treatment, after being struck with a bottle while walking on Phillips Street.

* 9:20 p.m. - Police found a man who said he was struck in the face by another man in the area of Kellogg Avenue.

NOISE COMPLAINTS

* 10:54 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. - Police cleared out a party with 75 people at a Northampton Road location and a party with 10 people at a South East Street home.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 10:06 a.m. - A bicyclist suffered a minor injury on North Pleasant Street near the entrance to Ren's Mobil after being struck by a turning vehicle, police said.

* 5:54 p.m. - Rowan S. Gay, 23, of Ashfield, was issued a citation for failure to stay within marked lanes after the vehicle he was driving on West Street struck a utility pole, police said.

Gay refused medical attention, but the vehicle was towed, police said.

* 6:26 p.m. - The driver of a vehicle was cited for several offenses after striking a parked vehicle on North Pleasant Street and then leaving the scene, police said.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 1:50 a.m. - Police took a report that a man made threatening comments to two women walking on Amity Street. Officers determined that the man was not making threats, but was actually just concerned for their welfare.

* 7:23 p.m. - A man sitting in a lawn chair at the Kellogg Avenue entrance to the parking garage trying to charge people $5 to park there was warned to stop the activity. The man had not collected any money.

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

* 3:03 p.m. - Police calmed down a woman who was being evicted from an Amherst location and had all her belongings removed from her room by management.

LARCENY

* 2:04 a.m. - A person came to the police station to report the theft of a backpack.

FIGHTS

* 1:36 a.m. - UMass police located a man who suffered minor injuries after getting into a fight near Presidential Apartments. The man told police the argument stemmed over a relationship with a woman.

* 8:28 p.m. - One man was struck in the face by another man during a fight on North Pleasant Street. The victim declined to pursue charges.

ASSAULTS

* 8:25 a.m. - A Griggs Apartments resident told police he was assaulted.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 1 p.m. - Environmental police picked up an injured hawk from South Pleasant Street.

* 5:32 p.m. - A moose successfully crossed Route 116 near the Sunderland town line. At 6:50 a.m. the following day, a moose was seen near the Department of Public Works barn on South Pleasant Street.

* 10:53 p.m. - A great dane that tried to attack people on Hills Road was suffering from a seizure. The dog's owner was able to locate a veterinarian in Deerfield to treat the animal.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 1:44 a.m. - A vehicle driving in the Mill Valley Estates parking lot struck a parked vehicle, causing minor damage and no personal injuries, police said.

* 8:45 a.m. - Lisa Gaughran, 51, of Potwine Lane, was issued a citation for failure to use care in stopping after the vehicle she was driving on West Street collided with a vehicle driven by Patricia J. Bachand, 48, of Belchertown, police said.

Bachand complained of neck and back pain, but refused treatment, police said.

Both vehicles were able to leave the accident scene under their own power, police said.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20

DISTURBANCES

* 11:13 p.m. - Police responded to an argument in front of the downtown bars between two homeless men. The argument stemmed over where they should stand while panhandling.

LARCENY

* 9:40 p.m. - A laptop was reported stolen from a Hawthorn Road home.

VANDALISM

* 2:02 a.m. - A large amount of trash was thrown into South East Street after vandals took the garbage out from the cans and dumped it into the road.

ASSAULTS

* 1:55 a.m. - A Sunset Avenue man told police his novelty hat was stolen during a fight in which he was assaulted.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 3:05 p.m. - A loose dog on Chestnut Street was returned to its home by a neighbor.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 1:11 a.m. - A vehicle struck a utility pole on West Street and was towed from the scene, but the driver was not located, police said.

* 4 a.m. - Police said they located a vehicle that crashed on Belchertown Road near Stanley Street. The vehicle may have been stolen, but the operator was not located.

MONDAY, SEPT. 21

DISTURBANCES

* 4:34 p.m. - A youth found a knife while playing at Village Park and then used the knife to scare another child. Police are investigating the incident.

LARCENY

* 11:14 a.m. - A street number sign placed on a Lincoln Avenue yard was reported stolen.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 8:14 a.m. - Several loose chickens were reported on Blue Hills Road.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 11:19 a.m. - A vehicle traveling on Montague Road near Mill River Recreation Area sustained minor damage to its roof after a piece of plywood fell from a truck in front of it, police said.

* 3:04 p.m. - A bicyclist ran into the side of a vehicle on Main Street, causing no damage or personal injuries, police said.

* 3:17 p.m. - A vehicle parked at The Hollow sustained minor damage when it was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle, police said.

* 4:55 p.m. - A minor two-car accident with no personal injuries took place in the parking lot at the University Drive post office, police said.