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Northwestern District Attorney

Western Mass Man Pleads Guilty To Killing His Roommate, Sentenced To Life In Prison Western Mass Man Pleads Guilty To Killing His Roommate, Sentenced To Life In Prison
Western Mass Man Pleads Guilty To Killing His Roommate, Sentenced To Life In Prison A 27-year-old Massachusetts man admitted in court on Wednesday, Sept. 25, that he fatally stabbed his roommate two years ago, authorities said.  Devin Bryden, 27, of Northampton, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the slaying of Jana Abromowitz, 21, in July 2022 the Northwestern District Attorney said. A judge sentenced him to life in prison.  Bryden was accused of stabbing Abromowitz at their shared home at 11 Hatfield St. after a friend found the woman's body after she didn't show up for work, the prosecutor said. Bryden also pleaded guilty to armed robbery and …
No Bail For Men Charged With Hate Crime Beating At Western Mass Liquor Store: DA No Bail For Men Charged With Hate Crime Beating At Western Mass Liquor Store: DA
No Bail For Men Charged With Hate Crime Beating At Western Mass Liquor Store: DA Two men were ordered held without bail after they were arrested for the vicious beating of a Franklin County liquor store employee earlier this month, authorities said.  Warren Martinez, 30, of Northampton, and Thomas Patnode, 24, of Greenfield, face several felonies including mayhem and a hate crime following the July 16 attack, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  A judge ruled the men were too dangerous to be released before their trial.  The men are accused of attacking a Sunderland liquor store employee after they refused to sell the duo any alcohol, the prose…
Teen, 62-Year-Old Killed In Separate Crashes An Hour Apart In Western Mass Teen, 62-Year-Old Killed In Separate Crashes An Hour Apart In Western Mass
Teen, 62-Year-Old Killed In Separate Crashes An Hour Apart In Western Mass A 17-year-old boy and a 62-year-old man were killed in separate crashes Thursday night, July 18, in Hampshire County, authorities said.  The teenager was killed around 10 p.m. in a single-vehicle crash on Southampton Road in Westhampton, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  The teen was pronounced dead at the scene, and police are investigating the circumstances leading up to the crash.  Officials did not release the teen's name. They were the only person in the vehicle.  An hour earlier, a 62-year-old Springfield man was involved in a two-car crash at the interse…
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison 'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison
Jose A. Oquendo Was Accused Of Sexually Abusing 3 Kids A 51-year-old former Athol man who pleaded guilty to raping multiple children and forcing them to make child pornography will spend at least 25 years behind bars, authorities announced.  Jose A. Oquendo pleaded guilty to 27 charges — including rape and sexual assault — on Thursday, May 30, the Northwestern District Attorney said. He was accused of abusing three children for years.  Franklin Superior Court Judge David Hodge called the Oquendo's abuse "horrific" and commended the victims for standing up in court against their abuser.  He said the sentence of 25 to 30…
South Hadley Man Says He Didn't Steal $100K In Jewelry, Valuables; DA Doesn't Buy It South Hadley Man Says He Didn't Steal $100K In Jewelry, Valuables; DA Doesn't Buy It
Steven Skea Charged With Stealing Items Worth $100K A 64-year-old South Hadley man accused of stealing more than $100,000 worth of jewelry, coins, and other valuables has pleaded not guilty to the charges, authorities said.  Steven Skea is charged with two counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime, two counts of larceny in a building, and unlawful possession of a firearm without a permit, the Northwestern District Attorney said. The alleged burglaries happened last year.  He is being held without bail.  Skea is accused of breaking into two businesses in the dark of night and escaping with six figures worth of…
Western Mass Man Admits To Drunken Crash That Killed Partner, Mom Of His Daughter: DA Western Mass Man Admits To Drunken Crash That Killed Partner, Mom Of His Daughter: DA
Cory Menard Admits To OUI Crash That Killed Katelyn Gress A 30-year-old Hampshire County man has admitted to causing the 2023 rollover crash that killed his longtime partner and mother of his daughter, authorities announced on Monday, April 22.  Cory Menard, of Granby, pleaded guilty to vehicle homicide while operating negligently and under the influence of alcohol; and reckless assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  A judge sentenced him to two and a half years in prison with two years of probation once he's released, the prosecutor said. Earlier Report: Granby Man Charged In D…
Ex-Western Mass Police Chief Charged With Embezzling Town Funds Ex-Western Mass Police Chief Charged With Embezzling Town Funds
Daniel J. Galvis Charged With Embezzling Public Funds The former police chief in Franklin County has been charged with stealing money and equipment set aside for his department, authorities said.  Daniel J. Galvis, the former police chief for the Leyden Police Department, was indicted on two counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, 2 counts of larceny over $1,200, and 3 counts of violating the standards of conduct for public employees, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  He was released on his own recognizance after the hearing, authorities said.  A 2022 Office of the Inspector General investigation found that Galv…
Central Mass Man Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Children, Gets 18 Months: DA Central Mass Man Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Children, Gets 18 Months: DA
Central Mass Man Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Children, Gets 18 Months: DA A Worcester County man was found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault on children under 14 years old and has been sentenced to 18 months behind bars, authorities announced on Thursday, Feb. 1.  Gregory J. Batchelor, 50, was convicted of four counts of taking indecent liberties with two children at an Athol location in 2019 and 2022, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Batchelor was convicted following a two-day trial wherein five people — four children and one adult — testified against him, the prosecutor said.  Assistant District Attorney Jillian Parent thanked…
Police Break-Up Western Mass Drug Ring; Multiple People Arrested Police Break-Up Western Mass Drug Ring; Multiple People Arrested
Police Break-Up Western Mass Drug Ring; Multiple People Arrested Police in Franklin County say they've upended a massive drug operation following a four-month-long investigation in Greenfield.  The men arrested were ferrying large amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine from Springfield to Greenfield and the North Quabbin region for street-level sales, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Those arrested and their charges include:  Josiah Cheeseboro, age 24, is charged with trafficking in a Class B substance (cocaine), trafficking in a Class A substance (fentanyl), and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Controlled Su…
Western Mass Man Admits To Raping Child; Gets 6 To 7 Years In Prison: DA Western Mass Man Admits To Raping Child; Gets 6 To 7 Years In Prison: DA
Kemal Banatte Admits To Raping Child He Knew From 2015-2019 A 44-year-old Hampshire County man admitted to repeatedly sexually assaulting a child, authorities said, and now he knows how long he'll spend in prison. Kemal Banatte, of Amherst, was sentenced to six to seven behind bars after he pleaded guilty to one count of statutory rape of a child, one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, and one count of witness intimidation, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Banatte admitted to raping a child he knew multiple times from 2015 until 2019…
Central Mass Man Admits To Shooting Victim In Neck; Will Serve 5 Years In Prison: DA Central Mass Man Admits To Shooting Victim In Neck; Will Serve 5 Years In Prison: DA
Central Mass Man Admits To Shooting Victim In Neck; Will Serve 5 Years In Prison: DA A 48-year-old Worcester County man who pleaded guilty to shooting a man in the neck inside a home in November 2022 will serve five years behind bars, authorities announced on Wednesday, Dec. 13.  Yamil Colon Nunez, of Athol, was convicted of the shooting that left a man in the hospital for a week, the Northwestern District Attorney said. Two other people were inside the Pine Street home in Athol during the attack, but they were not harmed.  Nunez was charged with assault and battery by means of a firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious b…
(UPDATE) Worcester County Man, 76, Killed In Orange Crash ID'd (UPDATE) Worcester County Man, 76, Killed In Orange Crash ID'd
(Update) Worcester County Man, 76, Killed In Orange Crash ID'd Update: Police have identified the man killed in the Thursday, Dec. 7, crash as Charles Beach, of Princeton.  Original: A 76-year-old Worcester County man died Thursday morning, Dec. 7, when his car crashed into a tree in Franklin County.  The Princeton man's car left the road around 10:30 a.m. in Orange near the intersection of Tully and Fryeville Roads, the Northwestern District Attorney said. No other vehicles were involved.  Paramedics rushed him to Athol Memorial Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Authorities did not release his name as they are noti…
High Court Upholds 2005 Murder Conviction Of Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman In Western Mass High Court Upholds 2005 Murder Conviction Of Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman In Western Mass
High Court Upholds 2005 Murder Conviction Of Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman In Western Mass A Massachusetts court has once again upheld Dennis Bateman's murder conviction for the vicious killing of 21-year-old Brandy Waryasz and her unborn child in April 2005 in Franklin County.  Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied Bateman's request for a retrial, the Northwestern District Attorney announced on Monday, July 17.  Bateman was convicted of first-degree murder in 2007 and ordered to serve two life sentences without parole after a jury found him guilty of the strangulation death of Waryasz, who was seven months pregnant, records show. Her unborn child, who s…
Officials ID Man Killed In South Hadley Car Crash Officials ID Man Killed In South Hadley Car Crash
Officials ID Man Killed In South Hadley Car Crash Authorities released the identity of the 21-year-old man killed in a single-vehicle car crash Thursday, April 27, when the car he was riding in slammed into a tree.  Kenny Rivera-Lopez, Martinsville, Virginia, was a passenger in a Honda Civic that crossed the center line along River Lodge Road around 8 a.m., the Northwestern District Attorney said. The driver, a 19-year-old Chicopee man, remained at Baystate Medical Center with serious injuries.  Related: One Dead, One Seriously Injured In South Hadley Crash The driver pulled himself out of the wreckage, but South Hadley firefigh…
Man Who Threatened To Shoot School in Western Mass Denied Bail: DA Man Who Threatened To Shoot School in Western Mass Denied Bail: DA
Man Who Threatened To Shoot School in Western Mass Denied Bail: DA A 46-year-old man who threatened to shoot everyone at a Franklin County elementary school will remain in jail following a dangerousness hearing on Wednesday, March 29.  Theodore R. Sweeney Jr., of Northfield, is charged with threatening to commit a school shooting, two counts of threatening to commit a crime, and disturbing the peace in connection stemming from an incident on Friday, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Sweeney is accused of calling Northfield Elementary School and telling two employees, "I will come there and shoot every one of you,” the prose…
Heath Man Who Drunkenly Shot At Friends As He Chased Them Gets 5 Years: DA Heath Man Who Drunkenly Shot At Friends As He Chased Them Gets 5 Years: DA
Heath Man Who Drunkenly Shot At Friends As He Chased Them Gets 5 Years: DA A 39-year-old Franklin County man who admitted to terrorizing his friends by chasing them through the woods while firing shots at them received a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday, Jan. 31, authorities said. Olin Schwenger-Sartz, 39, of Heath, pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a loaded firearm while intoxicated, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Schwenger-Sartz's tenant was found passed out at his Rowe Road home on Oct. 4, 2020. They called their friend to help th…
Out-Of-State Man Gets 4 Years For 'Relationship' With Underage Amherst Girl: DA Out-Of-State Man Gets 4 Years For 'Relationship' With Underage Amherst Girl: DA
Out-Of-State Man Gets 4 Years For 'Relationship' With Underage Amherst Girl: DA A 42-year-old Maryland man will spend the next four years in prison and a lifetime on the sex offender registry after pleading guilty to rape and child porn charges, authorities said.  David Gray Jr., of Bel Air, was accused of starting an online relationship with an underaged girl that became all too real, the Northwestern District Attorney said following the verdict Wednesday, Dec. 14.  Gray and the underaged girl from Amherst began exchanging social media posts and then hundreds of emails in 2020, the prosecutor said. When the girl went missing at the end of the year, her mothe…
Judge Rejects Guilty Plea From Amherst Dad Accused Of Killing Infant Son: Report Judge Rejects Guilty Plea From Amherst Dad Accused Of Killing Infant Son: Report
Judge Rejects Guilty Plea From Amherst Dad Accused Of Killing Infant Son: Report Isaac Villalobos admitted on Monday, Dec. 12, to killing his 4-month-old son in 2019, but a judge rejected his plea, saying the prosecution hadn't presented enough evidence to make a manslaughter charge stick, reports said.  Villalobos, who also goes by the name Angel M. Carattini-Rivera, is accused of using an infant syringe to give his baby boy a lethal dose of adult sleeping medication, the Northwestern District Attorney said. The former Amherst resident pleaded not guilty in July to charges of manslaughter, assault and battery on a child causing substantial injury, reckles…
Missing Man Identified As Person Found In CT River, DA Says Missing Man Identified As Person Found In CT River, DA Says
Missing Man Identified As Person Found In CT River, DA Says A body discovered by a kayaker in the Connecticut River has been identified as that of a missing 67-year-old  Western Massachusetts man, who hasn't been seen in nearly two months. Northwestern District Attorney spokeswoman Laurie Loisel confirmed the body was that of Franklin County resident Geoffrey Arthur, of Sutherland, who was reported missing on Monday, March 29. Arthur, who was known as “Randy,” had last been seen by his family on Sunday, March 28, said the Sunderland Police. Police and firefighters, as well as state police, had been searching for Arthur in the area of Route 47 …