Dracut Man Who Pistolwhipped Clerks, Fired Gun In 3 Christmas Eve Robberies Gets 12 Years: Feds Dracut Man Who Pistolwhipped Clerks, Fired Gun In 3 Christmas Eve Robberies Gets 12 Years: Feds
Dracut Man Who Pistolwhipped Clerks, Fired Gun In 3 Christmas Eve Robberies Gets 12 Years: Feds A Dracut man who admitted to robbing three convenience stores on Christmas Eve 2020 will spend 12 years behind bars, federal authorities announced.  Michael Vangpa, 33, was sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by fives years of probation following his guilty pleas to three counts of interfering with commerce by robbery and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Vangpa robbed two stores in Lowell and a third in Tewksbury within an hour on Dec. 24, 2020, investigators said. Each time he pulled his gun and de…
UPDATE: Water Main Break In Downtown Lowell Forces Hundreds Out Of Homes UPDATE: Water Main Break In Downtown Lowell Forces Hundreds Out Of Homes
Update: Water Main Break In Downtown Lowell Forces Hundreds Out Of Homes Cleanup is underway after a massive water main break in downtown Lowell forced hundreds of residents out of their homes, reports said. Lowell Police reported the break in the area of Moody Street and Cabot Street near Father Morrissette Boulevard around 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 28, according to their Twitter.  One video posted to Facebook showed the water gushing across Race Street and covering the tires of vehicles. People were also being rescued by crews on an inflatable boat, WCVB reports. Posted by Mark Watson on Monday, November 28, 2022 The flooding forced nearly 200 people to evac…
Police Nab Man Accused Of Killing 26-Year-Old Over Traffic Beef Police Nab Man Accused Of Killing 26-Year-Old Over Traffic Beef
Police Nab Man Accused Of Killing 26-Year-Old Over Traffic Beef Lowell police arrested a 21-year-old man they said shot and killed someone over a traffic dispute following a tense 10-day manhunt through the city and Fall River areas, authorities said.  Rafael Garcia-Rey faces a murder charge and will be held without bail, a judge ruled on Friday, Nov. 25, reports said.  Investigators said Garcia-Rey shot Louis Odogwu Ganobi in the chest on Nov. 15 at the corner of Maitland Avenue and Chelmsford Street in Lowell. Ganobi asked the driver of a car that Garcia-Rey was riding in to move, which sparked an argument that ended with his killi…
Prosecutors Issue Arrest Warrant In Lowell Killing; Suspect At Large Prosecutors Issue Arrest Warrant In Lowell Killing; Suspect At Large
Prosecutors Issue Arrest Warrant In Lowell Killing; Suspect At Large Authorities are looking for a 21-year-old man accused of shooting and killing over a traffic dispute in Lowell earlier this month, officials said.  Rafael Garcia-Rey is believed to have shot and killed 26-year-old Odogwu Ganobi of Lowell on Nov. 15 after they got into an argument about a traffic dispute at the intersection of Maitland Avenue and Chelmsford Street, the Middlesex District Attorney said. Police rushed Ganobi to Tufts Medical Center in Boston following the shooting, but he died the next day, reports at that time said.  Garcia-Rey is 5-feet-7-inches tall…
UPDATE: Missing 19-Year-Old Mother, Baby From Lowell Found UPDATE: Missing 19-Year-Old Mother, Baby From Lowell Found
Update: Missing 19-Year-Old Mother, Baby From Lowell Found UPDATE: Lowell Police report that Anastasia Svay and her baby has been found Lowell Police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing woman and her one-month-old child. Anastasia Svay, age 19, was last seen in the area of Gorham Street on Tuesday, Nov. 15, Lowell Police said on Facebook.  MISSING PERSON Anastasia Svay, 19, is an Asian female, brown/blonde hair, brown eyes, and is 5’4” tall and 165 pounds.... Posted by Lowell Police Department (Official) on Friday, November 18, 2022 Svay was last seen wearing a long jacket and is believed to be with her child. She is descr…
VA Man Found Guilty Of Murdering MA Native, Police Officer Katie Thyne: Report VA Man Found Guilty Of Murdering MA Native, Police Officer Katie Thyne: Report
VA Man Found Guilty Of Murdering MA Native, Police Officer Katie Thyne: Report A 41-year-old Virginia man has been found guilty killing of a police officer originally from Massachusetts during a traffic stop almost three years, Daily Press reports.  Vernon Green II, of Newport News, was found guilty of the second-degree murder of Newport News Police Officer Katherine "Katie" Thyne on Thursday, Nov. 17, the outlet reports.  The 24-year-old got stuck between the driver's door and frame of Green's car while officers tried pulling him out during a marijuana investigation on January 23, 2020, the outlet reports. Thyne died when the car crashed into a tree about a block a…
26-Year-Old Man Shot, Killed In Lowell; Police Ask For Tips 26-Year-Old Man Shot, Killed In Lowell; Police Ask For Tips
26-Year-Old Man Shot, Killed In Lowell; Police Ask For Tips Lowell police are investigating the shooting death of a 26-year-old Lowell man Tuesday night, Nov. 15, as a homicide following an autopsy report. Investigators are asking for the public's help to ID the shooter.  Officers found Odogwu Ganobi bleeding out near the intersection of Chelmsford Street and Maitland Avenue around 7 p.m. and rushed him to Tufts Medical Center in Boston, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said.  He died of his wounds later that night. The chief medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy and ruled the killing a homicide.  Inve…
WATCH: Lowell Firefighters Battling 3-Alarm Blaze, Building Partially Collapses (UPDATED) WATCH: Lowell Firefighters Battling 3-Alarm Blaze, Building Partially Collapses (UPDATED)
Watch: Lowell Firefighters Battling 3-Alarm Blaze, Building Partially Collapses (Updated) Firefighters in Lowell were on the scene of a three-alarm blaze Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 9.  The first call for help went out around 2:30 p.m. to 700 Broadway Street, but the fire grew quickly. It became a three-alarm blaze within 30 minutes. Officials have not said what building is on fire or what may have caused it, but the Don Kennet Auto Body Supplies is located in that area.  A portion of the building collapsed around 3 p.m., a tweet said. Firefighters had five live firelines beating back the fire.  One firefighter was briefly trapped inside the building, but they were evacuated and…
Lowell Money Manager Admits To Stealing $3.5M From Clients, Elderly Couple's Life Savings: Feds Lowell Money Manager Admits To Stealing $3.5M From Clients, Elderly Couple's Life Savings: Feds
Lowell Money Manager Admits To Stealing $3.5M From Clients, Elderly Couple's Life Savings: Feds A Lowell money manager who police arrested trying to flee the country pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars of his client's money, including one elderly couple's entire life savings, federal authorities said.  Steven Xigoros, 55, pleaded guilty this week to two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of filing a false tax return, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Xigoros worked as an accountant, tax preparer, and investment advisor who federal investigators said used that position to misappropriate millions of dollars from his cl…
Convicted Sex Offender Charged With Breaking Into Tewksbury Home: Police Convicted Sex Offender Charged With Breaking Into Tewksbury Home: Police
Convicted Sex Offender Charged With Breaking Into Tewksbury Home: Police A convicted sex offender from Lowell has been charged with breaking and entering into a Tewksbury home earlier this year, authorities said. John "Johnny" Luna, age 44, was charged in connection stealing more than $40,000 in jewelry after breaking into a home on Whipple Road in Tewksbury on March 29, 2022, Tewksbury Police report.  After a months-long investigation, Luna was arrested at his home on Tuesday morning, Oct. 18, police said. Luna has also been a suspect in multiple other incidents throughout the area. For starters, Luna was convicted of raping and abusing a child in 2007, a…
Search Continues For Man Who Jumped Into Merrimack River To Avoid Arrest Search Continues For Man Who Jumped Into Merrimack River To Avoid Arrest
Search Continues For Man Who Jumped Into Merrimack River To Avoid Arrest Multiple authorities are searching the Merrimack River for a carjacking suspect who ran to the river to avoid being arrested, authorities said. Police responded to a 911 call from a person at a business located on the 800 block of Main Street in Wilmington around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, Wilmington Police report.  The caller said someone drove to the business and allegedly threatened several employees and told them to get out of their cars, according to police.  Police are searching for a person accused of threatening employees at a business in Wilmington, carjacking and rammi…
Methuen Children’s Center Abused Young Boys, Withheld Food, Locked Them In Closet, Suit Says Methuen Children’s Center Abused Young Boys, Withheld Food, Locked Them In Closet, Suit Says
Methuen Children’s Center Abused Young Boys, Withheld Food, Locked Them In Closet, Suit Says Two moms whose children went to a Methuen daycare have filed a lawsuit claiming emotional mistreatment and physical abuse from the faculty, Boston.com reports. Dyanarah Fermin, of Lawrence, and Karina Rodriguez, of Lowell filed a complaint against The Children’s Center of the Faith United Methodist Church earlier this month in Essex Superior Court.  The moms claim their sons suffered emotional abuse that left them with PTSD, insomnia, night terrors, and other issues from the Lowell Street daycare, the complaint reads.  The suit alleges that employees of The Children's Center lock…