Police Report

Compiled by SCOTT MERZBACH

Published on November 20, 2009

AMHERST POLICE

* Police are asking residents of North Amherst apartment complexes to be aware of suspicious people and to keep their doors and windows locked following a string of recent break-ins, including one Monday night in which burglars were still inside when the resident returned home.

Detective David Foster said police received a call at 8:26 p.m. from a Puffton Village woman who got back to her apartment and observed three men inside her bedroom. The men slammed the bedroom door shut and fled out the windows, while the woman ran out of her apartment and called police.

The men had several items in their hands while they were fleeing the area, dropping some of the items in their rush to leave, Foster said.

Entry appeared to have been gained through a cut window screen, Foster said.

Police are trying to identify the suspects through descriptions provided by the resident.

The break-in is one of several in recent weeks at Puffton Village, Townehouse Apartments and Brandywine Apartments in which electronic items, such as iPods and game systems, were taken.

Foster said if residents report the incidents in a timely manner and observe suspicious people hanging out in the neighborhoods, it could help to solve the crimes.

"We just need a break," Foster said.

* Three women were arrested at a Pine Street home after police found a loud party with more than 200 guests in attendance Nov. 14 at 11:28 p.m., police said.

Catherine A. Barstis, 21, of Attleboro, Colleen Riley, 21, of Framingham, and Kaitlyn M. Shook, 21, of Pittsfield, were all arrested on charges of violating the town's noise bylaw, police said.

They were arrested after they became uncooperative with police and tried to hide people in bedrooms so they could continue the party, police said.

* Joshua R. Kortright, 33, of Wentworth Manor Drive, was arrested Nov. 14 at 6:12 p.m. on East Pleasant Street on charges of breaking and entering during the nighttime to commit a felony and resisting arrest, police said.

Kortright was found sleeping inside a vehicle when patrons at a downtown restaurant returned to their vehicle.

When Kortright was awoken he became verbally abusive toward officers and then tried to punch paramedics who had responded to the scene, police said.

* Eric P. Crampton, 24, of Reading, was arrested Nov. 14 at 3:59 a.m. on Hallock Street on a charge of breaking and entering during the nighttime to commit a felony after he was found inside a vehicle with its engine running in the Halcourt Gardens parking lot, police said.

Crampton apparently got inside the vehicle moments after its owner dropped off his girlfriend at a nearby residence, police said.

* Ralph W. Reed, 45, who provided an address as the streets of Amherst, was arrested Nov. 13 at 2:58 p.m. in North Amherst center on an outstanding warrant for failure to pay court-ordered fines, police said.

Reed was arrested after he was found confronting another man, police said.

* Juan A. Marinero, 32, of Southpoint Apartments, was arrested Nov. 13 at 10:47 a.m. at The Boulders on East Hadley Road on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and disturbing the peace, police said.

Marinero was arrested after he was riding on a PVTA bus and threatened the driver by alluding to having a gun, which prompted the driver to hit a panic button for police response.

* A 20-year-old Saugus man will be summoned to court on charges of reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, failure to stay within marked lanes and speeding following a traffic stop on an Amherst street Nov. 12 at 12:23 a.m., police said.

* Police took reports Nov. 11 at 10:17 a.m. and 10:38 a.m. that two residences at Townehouse Apartments on Meadow Street were broken into. Police said a laptop was stolen from one of the homes.

* UMass students took advantage of the Veterans Day holiday by spending time at the downtown bars on the night of Nov. 10, leading to incidents early on the morning of Nov. 11 that required police to make four arrests and to summon two people to court.

At 12:04 a.m., police were called to a downtown bar after a bouncer reported he had been punched in the face several times by a woman he was trying to remove.

Jayme N. DeFlurin, 19, of Boston, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and assault and battery, police said.

DeFlurin refused to calm down when officers got there and then made threatening gestures toward police before she was placed in custody, police said.

The bouncer's injuries were minor, according to police.

About an hour later, police located men fighting near the corner of North Pleasant Street and Kellogg Avenue with about 30 spectators watching the combatants.

Matthew A. Clement, 21, of Pittsfield, and Landon M. Johnson, 22, of Gardner, were both arrested at 1:15 a.m. on charges of disorderly conduct, police said.

Another man, who attempted to kick a police officer at the scene breaking up the fight, was also arrested.

Stephen N. Bryla, 22, of Westfield, was arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct, police said.

A 21-year-old Westwood man and a 19-year-old Plympton man were both located on the North Pleasant Street sidewalk urinating in full view of passers-by at 12:14 a.m. and 12:56 a.m. Both men will be summoned to court on charges of disorderly conduct, police said.

Besides issues downtown, two men living on Pelham Road were each issued $100 tickets for violating the town's noise bylaw after police responded to a loud party at the home at 2:14 a.m.

* A 15-year-old Amherst boy was arrested Nov. 10 at 2:35 p.m. at a downtown home on a charge of domestic assault after he put his grandmother in fear while destroying several of her belongings while visiting her apartment, police said.

* A 30-year-old Belchertown woman will be summoned to court on charges of credit card fraud over $250 and larceny over $250 following an incident in which she allegedly took a credit card from a Cottage Street home Oct. 6 and then used it to make purchases, police said.

* Between Nov. 10 and Nov. 17, police rec oered a license plate, a credit card, a backpack, a wallet, a license, a debit card, a jacket, a shirt and two bicycles. Police checked for speeding vehicles on High Street, Triangle Street, Shays Street, Amity Street, Pine Street, Strong Street and Farmington Road, performed well-being checks on five residents, provided four courtesy escorts and stopped vehicles on Amherst streets and issued eight warnings for operating without headlights, two warnings for failure to stop, one warning for a stop sign violation, two warnings for operating with defective plate lights, two warnings for failure to stay within marked lanes, one warning for operating with defective equipment, one warning for failure to yield the right of way, one warning for failure to stop at a red light and one warning for operating without an inspection sticker.

Police responded to false alarms at four businesses and four residences and checked on vehicles parked on Northampton Road, East Pleasant Street, South Pleasant Street and Sunderland Road and at Groff Park, Wildwood School and the Notch Visitors Center.

HADLEY POLICE

* Members of a band practicing in a recording studio inside a Rocky Hill Road residence Nov. 11 at 11:04 p.m. were asked to quiet down after a neighbor complained about the loud music.

* A purse was reported stolen from a vehicle parked on Skinner Park Road Nov. 11 at 4:30 p.m. Entry was gained through a smashed windshield, police said.

* William E. McCann, 53, of Northampton, was arrested Nov. 9 at 8:16 p.m. on Rocky Hill Road on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and failure to stay within marked lanes, police said.

* Robert C. Lagoy Jr., 21, of Meadow Street, was arrested Nov. 9 at 12:59 p.m. on Route 9 on an outstanding warrant, police said.

* A Crestview Drive resident reported Nov. 9 at 8:22 a.m. that while she was walking her dog a German shepherd-type dog approached her, snarled and then lunged at her.

PELHAM POLICE

* Kevin Ely, 34, of 124 Memorial Drive, Orange, was arrested Oct. 23 on Route 202 at 8:57 p.m. for operating a vehicle while under the influence, his second such charge, police said.

The arrest was not without some confusion. At the scene of the arrest Ely gave his brother's name of his own, according to police.

Yet the confusion did not last long. Ely's brother called shortly thereafter to say he suspected Ely was using his name as his own.

Police were able to verify that claim by matching the suspect's name to a warrant on file.

When confronted by police about the matter, Ely confessed that he was indeed Kevin Ely and not his brother.

* Pelham police were called to assist with the arrest of a drunk driver on Oct. 30. Robert T. McPherson, 84, of 88 Charden Lane, Athol was arrested at 7:12 p.m. by Shutesbury police for driving while under the influence of alcohol near the Pelham and Belchertown town line on Route 202. Police said it was the fourth such charge for McPherson, who was taken to the Athol State Police Barracks for booking.

McPherson was first seen driving erratically in Petersham by a driver who was following him.

A driver called Franklin County dispatch to report that they had seen a driver driving wildly turn south onto Rte. 202, according to Shutesbury police. New Salem police were the first to respond, but could not locate the driver.

A Shutesbury officer on patrol was the first to spot McPherson, whom he located at the intersection of Rte. 202 and Prescott Rd. in Shutesbury.

It was to be the beginning of a slow speed chase down Rte. 202.

Upon seeing McPherson, the responding officer signaled the driver to pull over. Instead, McPherson ignored the officer and continued driving south on Rte. 202 at speeds of 20 miles per hour. The driver finally pulled over near the Pelham and Belchertown line where he was arrested by the police.