Police Report

Compiled by SCOTT MERZBACH

Published on December 25, 2009

Amherst Police

" Shannan L. Yallof, 21, of West New York, N.J., was arrested Dec. 18 at 1:18 a.m. on Amity Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and making unreasonable and excessive noise with a car horn, police said.

Yallof's vehicle was stopped after it traveled the length of Lincoln Avenue continuously sounding its horn, police said.

" Jonathan J. Smith, 28, of Bay Road, was arrested Dec. 17 at 1:19 a.m. on South Pleasant Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, second offense, and failure to stop/yield, police said.

" Glenn E. Porter, 48, of Bay Road, was arrested Dec. 16 at 11:15 p.m. on Pelham Road on a charge of assault and battery on a police officer after he spat in the face of a police officer after he was found causing a public nuisance on Boltwood Avenue, police said.

" Thomas M. Riva, 22, of Woodlot Road, was arrested Dec. 16 at 1:55 a.m. on Belchertown Road on charges of operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked registration and operating an uninsured motor vehicle, police said.

" Between Dec. 15 and Dec. 21, police issued 135 warnings and 11 tickets to vehicles parked on Amherst streets in violation of the winter parking ban.

Police recovered five wallets, a pay check, a license and a credit card and checked for speeding vehicles on Lincoln Avenue, provided one funeral escort, checked the well being of two residents and stopped vehicles on Amherst streets and issued one warning for operating an unregistered motor vehicle, one warning for operating with a burnt-out license plate light, four warnings for operating without headlights, one warning for operating with defective equipment, one warning for failure to dim high beams to oncoming traffic, one warning for failure to yield the right of way and one warning for operating a motor vehicle without an inspection sticker.

In addition, police responded to false alarms at 10 businesses, four residences, Town Hall and Wildwood School and checked on vehicles parked on University Drive and Gatehouse Road and at Puffton Village and The Boulders.

Hadley Police

" A vehicle parked outside a Route 9 restaurant was reported broken into Dec. 12 at 9:33 p.m. and a GPS navigational unit was stolen from it.

" The "Entering Amherst" sign on Route 9 was reported stolen Dec. 12 at 9:47 a.m.

" Management at the Wal-Mart and Whole Foods Market stores at Mountain Farms Mall and McDonald's restaurant told police they receive counterfeit bills Dec. 11 between 10:56 a.m. and 8:29 p.m.

UMass Police

" Kelsey C. Kokennen, 19, of Holliston, was arrested Dec. 19 at 2:31 a.m. on North Pleasant Street on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, failure to stay within marked lanes and operating a motor vehicle with no license in possession, police said.

Day-by-Day Amherst Police Calls

TUESDAY, DEC. 8

LARCENY

" 1:38 p.m. - A bad check for $29 was passed at a College Street business.

BREAK-INS

" 12:01 p.m. - Jewelry was reported stolen from an unlocked safe at a Tanglewood Road home. Police said the items were stolen sometime since September.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 3:21 p.m. - A vehicle struck a dog on North Pleasant Street near the entrance to Puffton Village, police said.

A person took the dog from the scene, and the dog's owner was notified.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9

RECOVERED PROPERTY

" 4:42 a.m. - A 2000 Buick LeSabre reported stolen two days earlier was recovered at Echo Village Apartments with its rear window down and a radio missing,

LARCENY

" 12:16 a.m. - An expensive purse was reported stolen from a customer at a downtown bar.

VANDALISM

" 6:21 a.m. - A Blackberry Lane resident told police that trash cans were dragged from the property and placed in the street, while a wooden bench outside the home was knocked over and damaged.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 1:02 p.m. - A vehicle slid off Pine Street and into a picket fence, causing minor damage to both the vehicle and fence, but no personal injuries, police said.

THURSDAY, DEC. 10

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

" 4:30 p.m. - A South Amherst resident reported receiving a threatening phone call from a man.

DISTURBANCES

" 1:03 a.m. - A man and woman involved in a heated dispute outside the downtown bars were calmed down and sent on their way.

LARCENY

" 9:18 a.m. - A trash can was reported stolen from a West Street residence.

" 11:55 p.m. - A bicycle and the vehicle in which it was stored were reported stolen from an Amherst resident. The vehicle was later recovered in Ludlow, but the bicycle was missing from it.

VANDALISM

" 11:28 a.m. - An angry customer kicked in a window on the door to a College Street business. The man agreed to make restitution for the damage.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 3:57 p.m. - One driver was issued written warnings for failure to use care in stopping and operating a motor vehicle with no registration in possession following a minor two-car accident with no personal injuries on Northampton Road, police said.

" 4:18 p.m. - A school bus driven by Theodore E. Dziok, 69, of Bayberry Lane, Hadley, struck a parked vehicle at the corner of Main and Seelye streets, causing minor damage before leaving the scene, police said.

Dziok later called the station to notify police about the accident, police said.

No injuries were reported as a result of the accident, according to police.

" 5:46 p.m. - A vehicle that was struck by a second vehicle on North Pleasant Street at the entrance to Crestview Apartments fled the scene, police said.

The vehicle that hit the other vehicle sustained extensive front-end damage, police said.

TRAFFIC

" 12:51 p.m. and 1:02 p.m. - Police issued warnings to Main Street and Spaulding Street residents who had not cleared snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their homes.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY

" 11:01 a.m. - Police received a report from a woman that her brother was at a downtown bank that was being held up. Police determined the brother was just playing a prank on his sister. He was warned about his behavior.

FRIDAY, DEC. 11

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

" 6:43 a.m. - Two Jeeps parked in the fields at the Tuttle Farm on South East Street had caused damage after they got stuck in the mud and snow. Police notified Amherst College officials about the possible trespassing incident.

" 7:59 p.m. - Police responded to the post office on University Drive after a suspicious package was left on the counter. Officers examined the package and determined that it posed no safety hazard.

DISTURBANCES

" 6:39 a.m. - A woman at Village Park took an iPod from her granddaughter and smashed the electronic device after she accused her granddaughter of stealing it. Police responded to keep the peace. Officers determined that the granddaughter had not stolen the iPod.

LARCENY

" 6:59 p.m. - A moped valued at $2,000 was reported stolen from a parking garage on Hickory Lane.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 7:28 a.m. - A car ran into a fire hydrant when it slid through the intersection of East Pleasant and Pine streets, police said.

" 5:55 p.m. - A vehicle parked in a College Street parking lot sustained minor damage when it was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle, police said.

The driver of the hit-and-run vehicle later contacted police.

SATURDAY, DEC. 12

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

" 1:37 a.m. - An intoxicated woman who was wearing what police described as "party clothes" and was not dressed appropriately for the cold weather was found on the ground near bushes at the rear of a North Pleasant Street home. Police located the woman's friends and determined she had wandered off from the party an hour earlier. The woman was not injured or assaulted.

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

" 2:55 a.m. - A resident reported that he and his girlfriend received anonymous annoying and harassing text messages.

DISTURBANCES

" 2:59 a.m. - Police spoke to two women on Northampton Road who alleged they had been assaulted by a man at a nearby home. Police determined the woman had not been assaulted, but that one of the women was just trying to get her slippers back from the man.

" 3 a.m. - Police kept the peace at an Amherst home after the boyfriends of two residents got into a physical altercation.

" 3:43 a.m. - Two drunken friends who got into an argument on Hobart Lane were separated and agreed to stay at different homes for the night.

LARCENY

" 1:59 a.m. - A woman who brought two bags to a party at Puffton Village reported both disappeared while there. One of the bags contained a laptop. Police are investigating.

" 11:50 a.m. - A wallet containing $200 was lost or stolen while a person was attending a party at Colonial Village.

" 5:44 p.m. - A Hobart Lane woman told police her purse was stolen while at a party. A credit card inside the purse has since been used to make purchases at two local businesses. Police are investigating.

VANDALISM

" 8:30 a.m. - A portion of a fence on Fearing Street was knocked over sometime overnight, likely by students returning to the UMass campus from the downtown bars, police said.

FIGHTS

" 12:52 a.m. - A woman told police she got into a fight with another woman at a downtown bar. She was offered, but declined, medical attention.

ASSAULTS

" 1:22 a.m. - A college student suffered a nose injury after he was punched in the face by another student while on University Drive.

" 11:22 p.m. - Police took a report from a man who said he was jumped by three men and suffered a fat lip after an incident at the corner of Fearing and North Pleasant streets.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 12:50 a.m. - Police said they are investigating an accident in which a vehicle parked on North Pleasant Street was repeatedly struck by another vehicle that then fled the scene.

SUNDAY, DEC. 13

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

" 3:07 a.m. - A man was found sleeping inside a sleeping bag next to a vehicle parked on Stanley Street. Police spoke to the man, who is homeless, but determined he was comfortable to stay where he was sleeping.

" 1:11 p.m. - A Village Park resident reported a suspicious odor coming through vents, possibly related to drug activity. A review by police and maintenance workers found no odor or illegal activity in the area.

BREAK-INS

" 2:38 a.m. - Police are investigating an incident in which electronic equipment was taken from a home at The Boulders.

FIGHTS

" 3:20 a.m. - A snowball fight in the area of Fearing Street was getting out of control when officers got to the scene. Police spoke to the people and made sure the combatants calmed down.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 3:18 p.m. - Vehicles driven by Kathryn E. Carlson, 49, of Mount Warner Road, Hadley, and Victoria J. Jackson, 18, of Hickory Lane, collided on Amity Street, police said.

Carlson complained of pain and was transported by Amherst Fire Department ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where she was treated and released.

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

MONDAY, DEC. 14

DISTURBANCES

" 1:18 a.m. - An angry customer at a downtown restaurant was escorted from the building by friends.

LARCENY

" 11:39 a.m. - Copper wire was reported stolen again from a Sunderland Road location that has been the victim multiple times in the last few months. Police are investigating.

VANDALISM

" 5 p.m. - A Village Park resident reported a tire on her vehicle was slashed and went flat while she was driving to Boston.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 12:12 a.m. - Michael Y. Odoi, 31, of South East Street, was issued a citation for a traffic violation after the vehicle he was driving on Belchertown Road collided with a vehicle driven by Michael J. Babineau, 19, of Ludlow, police said.

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

" 1:04 a.m. - Kenneth D. Connor, 57, of Agawam, lost control of the vehicle he was driving on College Street near Dickinson Street, striking a crosswalk light control post, police said.

Connor suffered chest injuries and was transported by Amherst Fire Department ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where he was treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

" 9:23 a.m. - A vehicle driven by Hong Zou, 41, of Surrey Lane, rearended a PVTA bus driven by John A. Rayman, 29, of Amherst Road, Sunderland, at the corner of West Street and Longmeadow Drive, police said.

Meifang Li and Baixiang Zou, both 70, of Surrey Lane and passengers in Hong Zou's vehicle, suffered minor non-incapacitating injuries and were transported by Amherst Fire Department ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, police said.

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

TUESDAY, DEC. 15

DISTURBANCES

" 12:30 p.m. - Police took a report that a homeless man was bothering an employee at a downtown business by standing outside it.

VANDALISM

" 6:35 p.m. - Police are investigating an incident on Hobart Lane in which the victim alleges a woman came to his home, punched him in the face and broke his laptop.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 5:47 p.m. - Ashley M. Daviau, 20, of Springfield, was issued a citation for failure to use care in stopping after the vehicle she was driving at the intersection of Northampton Road and Hazel Avenue rear-ended a vehicle driven by Darryl T. Weimer, 21, of Alexandria, Minn., police said.

Daviau suffered non-incapacitating injuries, but did not need any medical attention, police said.

Weimer was issued a citation for operating an unregistered vehicle. His vehicle was towed from the scene, according to police.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

" 1:13 a.m. - Two drunken men trying to take down a flag flying outside a downtown business were warned about their activity and sent on their way.

" 11:09 p.m. - A man staggering in the middle of Boltwood Avenue and yelling profanities at passing vehicles was removed from the road by police and given a courtesy escort home.

BREAK-INS

" 1:06 a.m. - A vehicle parked at Presidential Apartments was broken into through a door and a DVD player, a CD player and a hunting jacket were reported stolen.

" 11:01 p.m. - Five cell phones and a deed to property in Ecuador were reported stolen from a Colonial Village home that was entered through a bathroom window.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 9:46 a.m. - A vehicle driven by Richard Maslanska, of Ware, went off North East Street and intor a tree, police said.

Maslanka suffered injuries and was transported by Amherst Fire Department ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where he was treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

The vehicle was towed from the scene, police said.

" 7:54 p.m. - One driver was issued a citation for failure to use care in turning following a two-car accident with no personal injuries at the intersection of Meadow Street and the Route 116 bypass, police said.

One vehicle was towed from the scene, according to police.

THURSDAY, DEC. 17

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

" 6:04 p.m. - A woman reported her North Amherst apartment was heavily damaged after a homeless man took her house keys and held a party at the residence while she was in the hospital.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 8:40 p.m. - Both vehicles were towed, but no personal injuries were reported, following an accident at the intersection of Sunderland Road and the Route 116 bypass, police said.

FRIDAY, DEC. 18

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

" 4 a.m. - Police responded to a South Amherst home for a possibly suicidal man who had accidentally killed his roommate's pet rabbit. Police contacted the Amherst Fire Department ambulance to provide a transport to the hospital.

" 4:58 p.m. - A young boy at an Amherst home called 911 to report a robbery in progress at a local supermarket. Police determined the boy had made up the story after watching a movie. An officer went to the home to speak to him about only dialing 911 in emergencies.

DISTURBANCES

" 7:48 p.m. - A husband outside a South East Street home banging on the door in an attempt to get back inside fled the area before police got there. At 9:19 p.m., police assisted the woman living at the residence in getting a restraining order against her husband.

LARCENY

" 3:02 p.m. - A Riverside Park resident reported that $400 was stolen from a filing cabinet inside the home.

ANIMAL COMPLAINTS

" 5:45 p.m. - A loose dog outside the downtown bars was recovered by its owner.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 3:18 p.m. - Chun Sung, 51, of Owen Drive, was turning his vehicle from Pray Street into a driveway when his vehicle struck Michael L. Rohm, 31, no address available, police said.

Rohm, who was in a wheelchair, was thrown to the ground and suffered a head injury, but he was conscious and alert when police got to the scene, police said.

No citations were issued after police determined Sung was was blinded by the setting sun and was traveling at a slow rate of speed, police said.

SATURDAY, DEC. 19

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE

" 1:05 p.m. - A resident reported receiving hundreds of emails, letters and phone messages from a man in Pittsfield whom she met in 2008. Police are investigating the alleged harassment.

VANDALISM

" 10:34 a.m. - An East Pleasant Street home was found covered in spray-paint markings. Police are investigating the extensive damage.

FIGHTS

" 3:33 a.m. - Combatants involved in a fight at The Boulders calmed down when police got there. One person suffered a minor injury during the fight.

SUNDAY, DEC. 20

DISTURBANCES

" 2:10 p.m. - A teenage boy with autism who became abusive toward a friend he was visiting at a South Amherst home was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital after be began making threatening comments.

BREAK-INS

" 3:47 p.m. - A screen and lock were cut at a Chestnut Court Apartments home, but no entry was gained.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

" 1:23 p.m. - Vehicles driven by Sharon B. Washington, 37, of Greenleaves Drive, Hadley, and Sotirios K. Anamisis, 59, of Belchertown, collided at the intersection of College Street and Boltwood Avenue, police said.

Washington complained of neck pain and was transported by Amnherst Fire Department ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton for treatment, police said.

Washington's vehicle was towed from the scene, according to police.

" 5:18 p.m. - Claudia M. Wallace, 51, of Rolling Green Drive, was issued a written warning for failure to use care in stopping after the vehicle she was driving at the intersection of Belchertown and Gatehouse roads collided with a vehicle driven by Catherine E. Manicke, 50, of Aubinwood Road, police said.

One of the passengers in Manicke's vehicle, Elaine Manicke, 15, and Alex Manicke, 17, complained of neck pain, but was not transported to a hospital, police said.

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