Police Report

Compiled by SCOTT MERZBACH

Published on October 16, 2009

Amherst Police

* A 20-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., woman will be summoned to court on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a class E substance after the vehicle she was driving was stopped on South Pleasant Street Tuesday at 2:08 a.m., police said.

The woman had both Methylin and Alza pills in plastic bags prepared for sale, police said.

* Benjamin C. Scarlett, 25, of Boston, was arrested Tuesday at 1:17 a.m. on College Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration, operating a motor vehicle with a number plate violation and failure to signal, police said.

* A 20-year-old Dorchester man will be summoned to court on a charge of receiving stolen property under $250 after a sign for Wollaston Beach in Quincy was located inside a Northampton Road home following a police and fire response for an illegal burn Monday at 5:36 p.m., police said.

* Police took a report Monday at 1:45 p.m. from a Puffton Village resident who said his home was entered sometime between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m., while he was asleep and an X-box game system, a skateboard and a guitar were stolen. Police are investigating.

* Ryan T. Callahan, 22, of Georgetown, was arrested Sunday at 1:35 a.m. on Lincoln Avenue on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and failure to stay within marked lanes after the vehicle he was driving went off the road into a tree, police said.

Callahan suffered a bloody nose and mouth from airbag deployment, but declined medical attention, police said.

* Residents at Townehouse Apartments on Meadow Street reported Oct. 10 at 2:07 a.m. that their home was forcibly entered and numerous items were stolen, including an LCD television set, an X-box 360 game system, X-box video games, a wallet, a laptop, a guitar and guitar amplifier and beer. Police are investigating.

* Michael Muranko, 31, of Westfield, was arrested Oct. 10 at 12:56 a.m. on Lantern Lane on a charge of disturbing the peace after he was found making crying and laughing sounds while on private property and was uncooperative with officers when asked to leave, police said.

* Akeem K. Lavalley, 20, of Burke Way, Hadley, was arrested Oct. 9 at 12:18 a.m. on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a shod foot, and possession of a class D substance, marijuana, subsequent offense, police said.

Lt. Ron Young, head of the police detective bureau, said that Lavalley and another man allegedly kicked a 22-year-old man repeatedly in the face after the man had initially been struck in the face and then fell to the ground. The victim was unconscious when police got to the scene.

The second suspect has not yet been identified, and police do not know what caused the altercation, Young said.

Though the victim was treated at the scene by Amherst Fire Department paramedics and declined further treatment, Young said he will need additional medical treatment for his injuries, which are not considered life threatening.

After being placed under arrest, a large quantity of marijuana was found on Lavalley, police said.

Neither Lavalley nor the victim are college students, police said.

* Maurice Saba, 21, of Stoneham, was arrested Oct. 9 at 12:03 a.m. near the corner of East Pleasant and Pray streets on three counts of malicious damage to motor vehicles after he ripped the mirror off one vehicle, struck a second vehicle with that mirror and then smashed a mirror on a third vehicle, police said.

* A 17-year-old Springfield man will be summoned to court on a charge of shoplifting after he took items from the CVS Pharmacy on North Pleasant Street in an incident reported Oct. 8 at 3:53 p.m., police said.

* James Wagner, 21, of Lunenburg, was arrested Oct. 8 at 2:45 a.m. on Hobart Lane on a default warrant for failure to appear in Eastern Hampshire District Court, police said.

* Claudinei B. Delima, 34, of Medford, was arrested Oct. 8 at 1:32 a.m. on Northampton Road on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol after his vehicle was stopped for traveling at a slow rate of speed, police said.

* Jailson Varela, 25, of Holyoke, was arrested Oct. 8 at 12:04 a.m. at Colonial Village on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in Holyoke District Court, police said.

* James Dowling, 64, of Northampton Road, was arrested Oct. 7 at 6:40 p.m. at his home on a probation violation warrant after he failed to comply with requirements of his probation, police said.

* A 20-year-old North Reading man will be summoned to court on charges of possession of a class B substance, LSD, and possession of a class E substance, Alprazolam, after the state drug lab made a determination about the types of drugs that were found following an incident at a Grantwood Drive home June 27, police said.

* Edward E. Therrien Jr., 22, of North Adams, was arrested Oct. 7 at 12:53 a.m. on North Pleasant Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and failure to stop/yield, police said.

* Solveig I. Woychuk, 54, of Belchertown, was arrested Oct. 6 at 9:12 a.m. at the corner of West Bay Road and West Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and failure to use care in stopping after the vehicle she was driving rear-ended a vehicle driven by James A. Waskiewicz, 25, of Chmura Road, Hadley, police said.

No personal injuries were reported, police said.

* Michael J. Lusardo, 21, of Main Street, was driving his vehicle in the driveway at the home Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m. when he accidentally ran over the foot of Eve Blagojevic, 20, also of Main Street, police said.

Blagojevic, who told police Lusardo may not have seen her in the rearview mirror, sought her own medical attention for what she said was a severely bruised foot she suffered.

* Between Oct. 6 and Oct. 13, police recovered beer, a cell phone and two wallets. Police checked the well-being of nine residents, provided four courtesy escorts, checked for speeding vehicles on Potwine Lane, Bay Road, Amity Street, Sunderland Road, Strong Street, East Hadley Road, Main Street and Belchertown Road and stopped vehicles on Amherst streets and issued two warnings for operating without headlights, two warnings for failure to stop at a stop sign, one warning for traveling the wrong way on a one-way street, two warnings for going through red lights, four warnings for failure to stay within marked lanes and one warning for a defective license plate light.

Police responded to false alarms at nine residences and three businesses and checked on vehicles parked on Bay Road, Dickinson Street, Mill Lane, Lilac Lane, East Pleasant Street and Kestrel Lane and at Mill River Recreation Area, the Notch Visitors Center, Townehouse Apartments and Atkins Farms Country Market.

Hadley Police

* Keith R. Avella, 34, of Southpoint Apartments, Amherst, was arrested Oct. 9 at 7:20 p.m. at a Route 9 location on three outstanding warrants, police said.

* James Bradley, 46, of Easthampton, was arrested Oct. 5 at 2:47 p.m. on Route 9 on a charge of shoplifting after he allegedly left a store without paying for a sweater valued at $39.99, police said.

UMass Police

* Michael C. Dietz, 21, of Northampton, was arrested Oct. 4 at 4:07 p.m. on University Drive on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and operating a motor vehicle with a missing registration sticker, police said.

* Tyler D. Willett, 18, of Winchendon, was arrested Oct. 3 at 1:08 a.m. on Eastman Lane on charges of assault and battery and disorderly conduct, police said.

* Joseph P. Szepelak, 39, of Echo Village Apartments, Amherst, was arrested Oct. 2 at 4:44 p.m. on Presidents Drive on an outstanding warrant, police said.

Day-by-Day Amherst Police Calls

TUESDAY, OCT. 6

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 11:58 a.m. - Police discovered remnants of drug use on a picnic table outside North Pleasant Street Apartments, but no illegal drug activity was taking place when police got there.

* 6:15 p.m. - A homeless man hauling a railroad tie up Main Street from the railroad tracks was advised to put the tie back where he found it.

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

* 6:49 p.m. - A teenage girl missing from an Amherst home was located safely a short time later.

LARCENY

* 10:02 a.m. - A Giant bike valued at $3,000 was reported stolen from a North Pleasant Street location.

* 2:34 p.m. - Police took a report that a mountain bike valued at $160 was stolen from North Pleasant Street, even though it was locked.

* 9:03 p.m. - A credit card was taken from a Cottage Street home and later used to make fraudulent purchases. Police are investigating.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 10:01 a.m. - A white dog with a deformed leg found on Sunderland Road was taken to the pound. At 10:50 a.m., a white Highland terrier loose on Chapel Road was picked up and brought to the shelter.

* 11:34 a.m. - Police took custody of a loose dog found on High Street that a person dropped off at the station. The dog was returned to its Van Meter Drive owners, who were also issued a fine.

* 7:34 p.m. - A black dog suffered minor injuries when it was struck by a vehicle on South East Street. The owner brought the dog to the Belchertown Animal Hospital for treatment.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 5:13 p.m. - Fannie E. Dang, 21, of Shrewsbury, was issued a citation for failure to use care in turning after the vehicle she was driving from Thatcher Way onto North Pleasant Street collided with a vehicle driven by Lisa M. Wilson, 21, of Holden, police said.

Wilson complained of a stiff neck and had bruises on her forehead, while Dang complained of neck pain, but both refused any medical attention, police said.

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

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 5:21 p.m. - Police found a large log placed inside a downtown bus stop that someone appeared to have put there to serve as a bench.

* 5:39 p.m. - An Amherst resident who has been going through his neighbor's trash, and possibly looking into her mailbox and peeping in her windows, was advised to stop his behavior.

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

* 5:28 p.m. - An Amherst woman told police her home was advertised for sale on craigslist.com even though the home has already sold through a local real estate company. The woman was referred to craigslist.com for assistance after several people came to her home following the listing being placed online.

DISTURBANCES

* 1:14 a.m. - Three men fighting outside the downtown bars were calmed down by an officer.

* 10:31 a.m. - An Amherst woman told police she got in an argument with her roommate over the wireless router he kept in his room. During the altercation, he threw the router at her, grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her against the wall before throwing her into a bean bag chair. Police advised the woman of her rights to obtain a restraining order.

LARCENY

* 5:26 p.m. - More than $600 worth of unauthorized purchases were placed on a Village Park resident's credit card. The resident told police he was unsure where the purchases had been made.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 7:31 p.m. - An Amherst woman told police her teenage daughter was confronted by a neighbor who threatened to bring her dog to the girl's property and allow the dog to defecate on the property. Police determined the incident occurred after the dog the girl was walking used the woman's yard as a bathroom.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 8:55 a.m. - One vehicle was towed following a two-car accident with no personal injuries on North Pleasant Street near Mark's Meadow School, police said.

* 1:49 p.m. - Lindsay J. McCarron, 22, of Belchertown, was driving her vehicle north on Sunderland Road near the Sunderland town line when the vehicle went off the road, traveled about 100 yards and slammed into a tree, police said.

McCarron suffered hand and leg injuries 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.

McCarron told police she may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Her vehicle was towed from the scene.

* 7:36 p.m. - A vehicle ran into a parked vehicle on Smith Street, causing minor damage and no personal injuries, police said.

THURSDAY, OCT. 8

LARCENY

* 10:22 a.m. - A mountain bike valued at $5,000 was reported stolen from a Triangle Street garage.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 9:42 a.m. - A goat that got loose on North East Street was captured by the animal welfare officer and returned to its pen.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 8:33 a.m. and 2:40 p.m. - Minor two-car accidents with no personal injuries took place on College Street and East Pleasant Street, police said.

* 6:35 p.m. - Brett M. Merrill, 20, of Granby, was issued a citation for failure to use care in stopping after the vehicle he was driving at the intersection of Northampton Road and South Prospect Street rear-ended a vehicle driven by Jose A. Ramirez, 31, of Colonial Village, which in turn was pushed into a vehicle driven by Jay R. Johnson, 55, of Long Plain Road, Leverett, police said.

Merrill, whose vehicle was towed from the scene, suffered a minor head injury and was treated at the scene by Amherst Fire Department personnel, police said.

Ramirez was also issued a citation for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, police said.

* 9:38 p.m. - A vehicle sustained minor damage when it struck a deer on Sunderland Road near Annie's Garden Store, police said.

FRIDAY, OCT. 9

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 6:39 a.m. - Police were able to remove a lock that was placed on the Dumpster at the Hess gas station. The lock appeared to have put on the Dumpster as a prank.

* 8:39 p.m. - Youths throwing eggs at passing vehicles on Amity Street were spoken to by an adult and fled before police got there.

DISTURBANCES

* 11:05 a.m. - A customer at a downtown store knocked over a display and pushed a box of books off the counter before leaving the area. All was calm when police got there

* 2:02 p.m. - An intoxicated homeless man yelling in the garden behind the Jones Library was advised to leave the area. At 7:27 p.m., the man was found on the ground in the alleyway between Main Street and Boltwood Walk, but police determined he didn't need any assistance.

VANDALISM

* 1:16 a.m. - A storm door at an Allen Street home was broken during an argument between two individuals.

* 10:48 a.m. - Two purple paintballs struck a tow truck at Townehouse Apartments.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 3:02 p.m. - A vehicle rolled from its space on Railroad Street and struck a home on Main Street, causing minor damage to both the vehicle and the house, police said.

* 4:12 p.m. - Charles E. Bosworth III, 43, of Belchertown, was issued a written warning for failure to use care in stopping after the vehicle he was driving on Triangle Street collided with a vehicle driven by Carolyn McHugh, 20, of Marlborough, police said.

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

* 5:21 p.m. - William J. Matthews, 87, of Walpole, was issued a written warning for failure to use care in turning after the vehicle he was driving from North Pleasant Street onto Main Street cut in front of a motorcycle ridden by Bruce J. Goda, 48, of Scarsdale, N.Y., police said.

Goda's motorcycle was unable to stop on the wet road and struck the side of Matthews' vehicle, causing more than $1,000 in damage to both vehicles, police said.

Goda was checked at the scene by Amherst Fire Department personnel, police said.

* 7:05 p.m. - A vehicle ran off West Street into a stop sign, causing minor damage to the vehicle, police said. The Department of Public Works was notified about the damaged sign post.

TRAFFIC

* 1:44 a.m. - A man walking in the middle of Fearing Street and refusing to leave the roadway was issued a ticket for obstructing a public way.

SATURDAY, OCT. 10

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 5:31 p.m. - The "ghost bike" placed on Montague Road in memory of the victim of a bicycle fatality in September was heavily damaged after two men allegedly used axes on it. Police were unable to locate the men responsible.

DISTURBANCES

* 8:28 p.m. - Management at a downtown restaurant told police they will be obtaining a restraining order against a homeless man who has repeatedly come inside and yelled at customers.

LARCENY

* 11:38 a.m. - A backback containing sweatpants, a cell phone, a social studies textbook and $2 in cash was reported stolen from a gym locker at the high school.

ASSAULTS

* 6:30 p.m. - A homeless man found on Kellogg Avenue told police he had been beaten up. The man was given a courtesy escort to a bus stop so he could leave town for the night.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 12:35 a.m. - A vehicle hit an embankment on East Leverett Road and tipped onto its side before landing back upright, police said.

The driver was not injured, police said.

* 11:02 a.m. - A cinder block that fell from a truck on West Street struck a passing vehicle, causing damage to the vehicle's radiator and front bumper, police said.

* 12:24 p.m. - Eva M. Fenner, 78, of West Street, was issued a citation for failure to use care in turning after the vehicle she was driving on Belchertown Road made an abrupt turn into the landfill entrance, causing a vehicle driven by Navy Tep, 23, of Belchertown, to swerve into a guardrail, police said.

Tep's vehicle then went airborne and landed on its roof, and slid a short distance on the roadway into a vehicle driven by Judith A. Whitcomb, 56, of 7 Sand Hill Road, police said.

Tep suffered minor injuries 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.

Tep's vehicle was towed from the scene, police said.

* 8:32 p.m. - A minor two-car accident occurred at the corner of University Drive and Massachusetts Avenue, police said.

* 8:46 p.m. - Stacey L. Sousa, 25, of Hadley Road, Sunderland, was issued a citation for failure to use care in turning and failure to grant right of way after the vehicle she was driving southbound from North Pleasant Street onto Pine Street collided with a vehicle driven by Evan J. McDonough, 23, of Goffstown, N.H., police said.

The accident caused a traffic light to be knocked down, forcing the Department of Public Works to set up temporary stop signs at the intersection for several hours, police said.

Both vehicles were towed from the scene, according to police.

SUNDAY, OCT. 11

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 12:16 a.m. - A person urinating near the downtown bars was warned about his activity and sent on his way.

* 12:27 a.m. - Several men banging on the Sukkah set up at Kendrick Park were advised about their behavior and sent on their way. At 11:10 a.m., police got a report that three extension cords were stolen from the structure.

* 6:18 p.m. - Police identified a person carrying a BB gun that resembled a pistol at New Hollister Apartments. The youth turned the BB gun over to police.

ASSAULTS

* 11:52 a.m. - A woman at The Boulders told police her former boyfriend hid in the bushes outside her home and assaulted her current boyfriend. The victim declined medical attention, while the woman was advised about her options for obtaining a restraining order.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

* 11:29 a.m. - A loose beagle at Amethyst Brook Conservation Area was brought to the shelter.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

* 1:30 p.m. - A vehicle went off Montague Road and into a utility pole, causing minor damage and no personal injuries, police said.

TRAFFIC

* 9:24 p.m. - A man told police he was driving his vehicle on West Street near the Notch when he passed a vehicle whose driver threw a soda can that struck his vehicle.

MONDAY, OCT. 12

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

* 10:36 a.m. - A screen window at Crocker Farm School was found cut, but no entry appeared to have been made.

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

* 7:13 p.m. - A teenage girl told police she may go to court after a friend took her purse two days earlier and is refusing to return it to her.

DISTURBANCES

* 6:56 p.m. - Police responded to a verbal altercation at Echo Village Apartments after one man refused to allow another man to eat his shrimp. The men were separated and advised to stay away from each other.