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Westford, MA

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Mom Of 6-Year-Old Who Drowned In Mass. Lake Asks For Help: 'Incredibly Difficult' Mom Of 6-Year-Old Who Drowned In Mass. Lake Asks For Help: 'Incredibly Difficult'
Zayan Mayanja Drowned In Nabnasset Lake After Leaving Home Community support has poured in for the family of a 6-year-old non-verbal autistic boy who drowned over the weekend in a Westford Lake after the child's mother created a fundraising campaign.   The body of Zayan Mayanja was found in Nabnasset Lake on Sunday, June 23, after he snuck out of a window at his family's home on Chestnut Road.  Nazifah Namaganda, Zayan's mother, wrote that her son loved to read and cared about animals. She created a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of the boy's funeral, which was held on Wednesday, June 26.  It's with gr…

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by Josh Lanier
News
$100K Lottery Tickets Sold In Westfield, Western Mass $100K Lottery Tickets Sold In Westfield, Western Mass
$100K Lottery Tickets Sold In Westfield, Western Mass Two Bay Staters had a very good week when they won $100,000 playing the Massachusetts State Lottery.  The winning tickets were claimed on Wednesday, May 1, and were sold at Big Apple Market & Deli at 294 Littleton Road in Westford and Big Y at 650 Memorial Dr. in Chicopee.  Related: Mass Woman Wins Two $1M Lottery Jackpots In 10 Weeks Both won their jackpots by correctly guessing all five numbers of the daily "Mass Cash" drawing. Those were 6, 11, 18, 24, and 26.  The winners' names were not released. Each store will receive a $1,000 bonus for the sale.  …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
26-Year-Old Mass Man Killed In Route 495 Crash In Westford 26-Year-Old Mass Man Killed In Route 495 Crash In Westford
26-Year-Old Mass Man Killed In Route 495 Crash In Westford A 26-year-old Massachusetts man was killed in a three-vehicle crash on Route 495. The crash occurred in Middlesex County around 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, at mile marker 84 in Westford. According to Dave Procopio of the Massachusetts State Police, the crash involved a tractor-trailer that had struck and overrode a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.  Westford Fire and EMS arrived on-scene and first responders began attempting to extricate the driver of the Tacoma,  The driver, a 26-year-old Essex County resident from Lawrence, was pronounced dead on the scene, Procopio said. The …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Suspects Slither Away With Snake From Westford Petco Suspects Slither Away With Snake From Westford Petco
Suspects Slither Away With Snake From Westford Petco Some suspects slinked off with a snake in a slippery shoplifting caper from a Westford pet store, and now police want to put the squeeze on them.  The Colombian red tailed boa constrictor was stolen from a Petco at 11 Cornerstone Square on Tuesday, Dec. 12, around noon, police said. A man swiped the snakes from a habitat on display while two accomplices distracted a nearby employee, Westford police said.  Police released the images in the hopes someone would recognize them — or notice a friend with a new boa constrictor — and tip off investigators.  The Westfor…

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by Khier Casino
Police & Fire
Update: Westford Man Who Went For Walk, Did Not Come Back Found With Help Of Police Helicopter Update: Westford Man Who Went For Walk, Did Not Come Back Found With Help Of Police Helicopter
Update: Westford Man Who Went For Walk, Did Not Come Back Found With Help Of Police Helicopter The missing man was found on Monday, August 7, according to the Westford Police Department.  Original story below:  Local and state police are searching for a missing Middlesex County man with the help of a state police helicopter.  Vinod Maudgal, of Westford, went for a walk on the night of Sunday, August 6, or early the following morning in the wooded area between Cutter Lane and True Bean Way, and did not come back, according to the Westford Police Department.  The wooded area is off Beaver Brook Road and Buckingham Drive and runs parallel to Concord Road.  We…

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by Morgan Gonzales
Police & Fire
Man Cops To Dumping Body In Westford After Woman ODs In Car: DA Man Cops To Dumping Body In Westford After Woman ODs In Car: DA
Man Cops To Dumping Body In Westford After Woman ODs In Car: DA A 59-year-old Western Massachusetts man admitted to leaving a woman's body on the side of a Westford road in 2019 after she overdosed in his car, authorities announced on Monday, May 8. He will spend the next seven to eight years behind bars.  Daniel Perras, of Easthampton, pled guilty to destruction of evidence and improper disposal of a body after he left Melissa Mestre in Westford and got rid of her things to avoid being any link to her death, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said.  Perras picked up Mestre on Jan. 31, 2019, from her home in Springfield and dro…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Hikers Launch Fundraiser For Westford Native Who Died Climbing NH Mountain Hikers Launch Fundraiser For Westford Native Who Died Climbing NH Mountain
Hikers Launch Fundraiser For Westford Native Who Died Climbing NH Mountain Emily Sotelo was determined to climb all of New Hampshire's 48 mountains over 4,000 feet tall before her 20th birthday. The Westford, Massachusetts, native had topped 40 of them and wanted to finish the others while on Thanksgiving break from Vanderbilt University.  Unfortunately, Sotelo disappeared while hiking up Mount Lafayette on Nov. 20, 2022. Searchers found her body was found three days later, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Now, the group Hiking Buddies has organized an event for this summer in the hopes of educating and helping other hikers stay safe while out on the trail.…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Westford 30-Year-Old Man Dies In Single-Car Crash: Police Westford 30-Year-Old Man Dies In Single-Car Crash: Police
Westford 30-Year-Old Man Dies In Single-Car Crash: Police The cause of a single-vehicle crash that claimed a man's life is under investigation, police say.  A 30-year-old Westford man died at the scene of the crash that occurred around 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, according to Westford Police Captain James Peloquin.  The driver was the long occupant inside the vehicle. His immediate family was out of state at the time of the crash, Peloquin said, so his identity has not yet been released.  Massachusetts State Police also responded to the scene of the crash, and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office was notified.&nb…

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by Morgan Gonzales
Neighbors
Westford Girl's Leukemia Diagnosis Is 'Worst News Imaginable' For Family Westford Girl's Leukemia Diagnosis Is 'Worst News Imaginable' For Family
Westford Girl's Leukemia Diagnosis Is 'Worst News Imaginable' For Family Every parent is afraid of getting the 'worst news imaginable' regarding their children and for one family from the Merrimack Valley, that unfortunately became a reality, an online fundraiser reads.  Rebecca Ennis' 6-year-old daughter Olivia was diagnosed with Leukemia the last week of March, according to a GoFundMe campaign organized by Rebecca's sister Jennifer Troester.  The Westford mom will now be out of a job as Ennis travels to and from Boston while Olivia gets treatment, Troester said. She hopes the GoFundMe will help ease the family's financial burden.  "No parent should have to fa…

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by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
Firefighters Receive Minor Injuries In 2-Alarm Ayer Fire, Home Heavily Damaged Firefighters Receive Minor Injuries In 2-Alarm Ayer Fire, Home Heavily Damaged
Firefighters Receive Minor Injuries In 2-Alarm Ayer Fire, Home Heavily Damaged A police officer who was the first on the scene of a fire engulfing an Ayer home was greeted with a large column of smoke that was visible from a distance, officials say.  A two and a half story home, located at 20 Wright Road, became heavily involved in a fire that broke out at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 27, according to the Ayer Fire Department.  Ayer Ma Fire pic.twitter.com/u9TrTkGbPr — Patrick Kerrigan (@pkerriganpk) March 27, 2023 To quell the roaring blaze, firefighters used seven hand lines and two fire hydrants, but the home still sustained heavy damage. Two firef…

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by Morgan Gonzales
Police & Fire
Body of Missing Mass Hiker Found At New Hampshire Mountain On Her 20th Birthday: Reports Body of Missing Mass Hiker Found At New Hampshire Mountain On Her 20th Birthday: Reports
Body of Missing Mass Hiker Found At New Hampshire Mountain On Her 20th Birthday: Reports Searchers in New Hampshire found the body of missing hiker Emily Sotelo, of Westford, on Wednesday, Nov. 23, after days of searching, reports said. It would have been her 20th birthday.  Sotelo went missing on Sunday after her family dropped her off at Lafayette Place Campground in Franconia, NH, authorities with New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Department said. The Vanderbilt University sophomore wanted to hike a popular trail in the White Mountains. Sotelo's mom reported her missing only hours after she failed to make their 3:30 p.m. meeting time at the Flume Gorge parking lo…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man, Woman Seriously Injured In Westford Crash On I-495: Fire Officials Man, Woman Seriously Injured In Westford Crash On I-495: Fire Officials
Man, Woman Seriously Injured In Westford Crash On I-495: Fire Officials A man and woman were seriously injured in a car crash in Westford, authorities said.  Emergency crews responded to the crash that happened on I-495 south at 9:32 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, Westford Fire said on Facebook. Initial investigation determined that one vehicle left the lane and struck a tree in the median of the highway, Westford Fire said.  Both individuals were pulled from the car by witnesses before crews arrived, officials added. The man was airlifted to a Boston hospital while the woman was taken by ground to a Burlington hospital.  Massachusetts State …

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by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
Lowell Nurse Pleads Guilty To $100M Medicare, MassHealth Fraud, Kickback Scheme: Feds Lowell Nurse Pleads Guilty To $100M Medicare, MassHealth Fraud, Kickback Scheme: Feds
Lowell Nurse Pleads Guilty To $100M Medicare, MassHealth Fraud, Kickback Scheme: Feds A 42-year-old Lowell nurse pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this month to a scheme that prosecutors say defrauded at least $100 million from Medicare and MassHealth.  Winnie Waruru admitted in court on Sept. 8 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, aiding and abetting healthcare fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, and multiple counts of lying to federal investigators, the U.S. Attorney's Office.  Waruru worked as a licensed practical nurse for Arbor Homecare Services LLC, where investigators said she and a co-owner of the business, Faith Newton, failed to train staff,…

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by Josh Lanier