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41°
Saturday, apr 27
Tag:
Kidnapping
Police & Fire
'True Monsters Exist': Philip Chism Admits To Vicious Attack On Social Worker
A social worker who was attacked by a convicted rapist and murderer said she has lived in fear for nearly a decade since that beating. However, she refuses to let it define her life. Philip Chism, 25, of Danvers, admitted on Friday, April 26, to attempted murder, assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon (cinder block), and kidnapping, the Suffolk County District Attorney announced. The attack happened in 2015 when Chism was on trial for the rape and murder of this Danvers High School algebra teacher Colleen Ritzer a year earlier, the prosecutor said. C…
Police & Fire
Man Sexually Assaulted Child In Central Mass After Luring Her Into His Car At Beach: Police
A 68-year-old Worcester County man is accused of using a dog to lure a child into his car, where he kidnapped and sexually assaulted her, authorities said. Walter Fanion, of Southbridge, is charged with kidnapping, enticing a child under 16, and four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, Webster police said. The alleged incident happened on Monday, April 15. The girl told police that she got into the man's car after he approached her at Memorial Beach with a dog. He walked her to his vehicle and then sped away once she was inside, officers said. He d…
Police & Fire
Police ID Man Who Stole Car With Baby Inside In Western Mass
Police have identified the man who sparked a statewide Amber Alert when he stole a vehicle in Western Massachusetts, on Friday morning, March 29, that had a 3-year-old baby inside. Vadim Vorobyov, age 52, of Springfield, is charged with kidnapping, child endangerment, and fugitive from justice in Connecticut and is also expected to be charged with kidnapping, child endangerment, and motor vehicle larceny in Massachusetts, State Police said. Vorobyov stole the running car when he came across it outside of a home on Exchange Street in Chicopee around 8:40 a.m., police said. T…
Police & Fire
Man Kidnaps Woman At Knifepoint In Western Mass, Forces Her Into Hotel Room: Police
A Hampden County man is accused of robbing a couple in West Springfield before forcing the woman at knifepoint to go with him to a hotel, where he planned to rape her, authorities said. Michael Hunter, of Leeds, is charged with armed robbery, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, assault to commit rape, and assault and battery, West Springfield police said. Officers were called to the area of 1130 Riverdale St. in West Springfield around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7, to reports of a man assaulting a man and woman at knifepoint. Witnesses said the man forced the …
Lifestyle
Cambridge A-Listers Team Up Again To Direct, Star In New Netflix Thriller
Two of Cambridge’s own are back together for a new project on Netflix. Hot off the heels of their movie “Air,” Ben Affleck is set to direct, and Matt Damon will lead the cast of an upcoming thriller for the streaming service titled “Animals.” The plot is “under wraps,” according to the film’s IMDb page. Related: Cambridge's Ben Affleck Runs — Stumbles — On Dunkin' But Variety reports that the story of “Animals” will be about kidnapping. This isn’t the first time the two have collaborated together. Damon and Affleck co-starred in and co-wrote “Good Will Hunting” in 1997, which went …
Police & Fire
Lawrence Man Charged In Fatal Worcester State University Shooting: DA
A Lawrence man has been charged with the killing of a 19-year-old man at Worcester State University in October, authorities announced Thursday, Dec. 21. Kevin Rodriguez, 18, was indicted on Wednesday and charged with murder, possession of a loaded firearm not at home or work, and possession of a firearm not at home or work, the Worcester County District Attorney said. US Marshals and Mass State Police tracked Rodriguez down to New York City, where he was arrested last month. Kevin Rodriquez Worcester County District Attorney's Office Worcester State Uni…
Police & Fire
Man Who Tried To Kidnap Baby During Western Mass Burglary Spree Gets 8-10 Years In Prison: DA
A homeless man who broke into a Hampshire County family's home in the middle of the night in 2021 and tried to steal their 20-month-old infant along with their valuables will spend up to a decade behind bars, authorities announced on Monday, Dec. 18. Jimmy Sanchez, 39, of Amherst, pleaded guilty on Monday to several felonies and was sentenced to 8-10 years in prison, the Northwestern District Attorney said. He had previously been held without bail after a judge ruled him too dangerous to be released. A family at a home on Spring Street in Amherst heard a noise around 2 a.m. on M…
Police & Fire
Man Guilty Of Killing Rescuer Who Came To Aid Of Woman He Kidnapped In Springfield: DA
A 44-year-old man was found guilty of the cold-blooded murder of a man who tried to help a woman he was abusing at gunpoint in Springfield, authorities said. Arthur Waters, of Springfield, was convicted of murder in the first degree, illegal possession of a firearm, kidnapping while armed with a firearm, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault & battery (two counts), and two counts of intimidation of a witness, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office said. Waters was accused of beating and threatening to kidnap a woman in May 2021 from her&nb…
News
Woman Helps Cover Up Killing Of Father From Mass, Sells His Belongings: Here's Her Sentence
A Connecticut woman will spend time in prison after helping to cover up the kidnapping and murder of a Massachusetts man on Christmas Eve, officials announced. Hartford County resident Shamari Smith, age 34, of Manchester, also known as "Dakota," was sentenced on Friday, Oct. 13 to 25 months in prison for helping to cover up the murder of 28-year-old Francisco Roman, Jr. in December 2020, the US Attorney's Office for District of Connecticut announced. Earlier Report: Murder Conviction: Manchester Woman Admits To Role In 2020 Killing Of Father Of 3 According …
News
Mother’s Intuition? Trish Sena Made Prophetic Comment Before Daughter Charlotte's NY Rescue
Call it mother’s intuition. As the dreaded 48-hour mark approached since 9-year-old Charlotte Sena disappeared from a state park in New York, her mother suddenly had a feeling that everything would be alright just before the girl was rescued, according to Albany radio station WGNA. Speaking with the station’s “Brian and Chrissy in the Morning” show Tuesday, Oct. 3, Charlotte’s aunt, Jene′ Sena, said the girl’s parents Trisha and Dave were gathered with friends and relatives around their campsite when Trisha made a rather prophetic statement. "I don't know...maybe it's mother's intuition,…
News
Support Swells For Charlotte Sena's Family After NY Girl's Kidnapping: 'Going To Be Long Road'
The hallways of the Corinth Central School District were flooded with orange Tuesday morning, Oct. 3, as students and teachers celebrated the safe return of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena following her kidnapping at a state park in New York and subsequent rescue two days later. “Promote unity by wearing your orange!” reads a message on the district’s Facebook page. “Other schools in our region will be wearing orange to support Corinth, too.” The heartwarming display hinted at the immense support the community has shown the girl’s family throughout the terrifying 48-hour manhunt that garnered na…
News
New Details Emerge In Capture Of Kidnapping Suspect In Case Involving 9-Year-Old
New details have emerged after a 9-year-old girl who went missing while riding on a bike path at a park in upstate New York was found safe with a suspect now in custody. Charlotte E. Sena was last seen in Saratoga County at around 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30 at Moreau Lake State Park in the town of Moreau. An AMBER Alert was activated by state police on Sunday, Oct. 1, who said they were investigating a possible abduction. Sena's mother had reported her daughter's disappearance to authorities after the girl's bicycle was found at around 6:45 p.m. Saturday along the path of the 6,200-acre…
News
Breaking: Charlotte Sena Found Days After Apparent Abduction At NY State Park; Suspect Arrested
This story has been updated. Missing 9-year-old Charlotte Sena has been found safe days after apparently being abducted in broad daylight at a state park in New York, capping off an intense, 48-hour police search that garnered national attention. Click here for a new, updated story: ID Released For 47-Year-Old Suspect Charged With Kidnapping Charlotte Sena At State Park In NY In an update just before 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, New York State Police said Sena has been located and is in good health, and a suspect has been arrested. Earlier Report: 'Hearts Are Broken': Moreau Lake State Par…
Police & Fire
Wanted Violent Kidnapper Found Hiding In Worcester Crawl Space: Police
A 32-year-old man wanted on several violent charges tried to hide from Worcester police and federal agents in a home's attic crawl space Friday morning, Aug. 11. It did not work out for him. Jarrell Grayson, of Worcester, had outstanding warrants on charges of armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife), kidnapping, and strangulation, Worcester police said. Worcester officers, state troopers, and US Marshals went to a home on Dorchester Street to serve those warrants, but when they arrived, they saw Grayson scurry across the roof and climb into a third-sto…
Police & Fire
Wanted Kidnapper Busted After Caught Speeding In Berkshire County: Police
If you're a wanted man, it pays to obey the speed limit. At least, that's what a convicted kidnapper wanted for a parole violation in Berkshire County found out this week. Arthur Jones III was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 6, following a routine traffic stop in Hinsdale, Hinsdale police said. The officer pulled Jones over for speeding just after 4 p.m. and realized he had an active warrant for his arrest, authorities said. The vehicle was also unregistered and had incorrect registration plates. Jones was convicted in 2014 of kidnapping, assaulting, and robbing his boss at the&n…
Police & Fire
Man Involved In Central Mass Standoff Pleads Not Guilty, Held Without Bail
A man who held Worcester police at bay during a two-hour standoff last week pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday, July 17, authorities said. A judge ordered held without bail, authorities said. Jonathan Lugo, 27, of Worcester, was accused of threatening people with a gun on Culver Street Friday afternoon, but when police arrived he refused to drop the weapon, Worcester police said. He instead fled along Dorchester Street and ran inside an apartment on Cutler Street and would not come out Police called in a mental health expert and a SWAT team to prepare for any outcome. Officer…
Police & Fire
Serial Rapist: Attorney Charged With 4 Cold Case Attacks In Mass, FBI Says
The FBI and Boston police said a New Jersey attorney is behind a string of rapes and kidnappings in Boston more than 15 years ago, officials said. Officials arrested the Weehawken man on Tuesday, May 30. Matthew Nilo, 35, is charged with three counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, one charge of intent to rape, and one account of indecent assault and battery, the Boston Police Department announced. The alleged attacks happened in August and November 2007 and August and December 2008 in Charlestown, authorities said. Investigators linked Nilo to the rapes through investigati…
Police & Fire
Man Admits To 3 Springfield Slayings While Awaiting Federal Murder Trial: DA
A Waterbury, Connecticut, man awaiting a federal trial on kidnapping and murder charges admitted to killing three people in Springfield beginning in 2006, authorities said. Calvin Robertson, 41, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, April 18, to three counts of manslaughter, the Hampden County District Attorney announced. Prosecutors chose to charge him with manslaughter to not interfere with his upcoming federal trial, where he faces a minimum of life in prison or a potential death sentence if convicted, DA Anthony Gulluni said in a news release. Robertson admitted to the following s…
Police & Fire
Violent Kidnapping: 5 Busted In Central Mass Held Victims For Hours, Beat Them, DA Says
Five people are expected to be arraigned Friday, Feb. 17, that they took part in a violent assault and kidnapping at an Athol home earlier this month, authorities said. The five were arrested in connection with a Feb. 1 kidnapping where two victims were held at a house for four hours against their will, robbed, and assaulted, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. One victim reported the incident to Athol police the following day. This week, investigators arrested multiple people in the case. They are: Franklin Payne, age 46, of Athol. He is charged with armed…
Police & Fire
Man Kidnapped Victim In Western Mass, Fled State: Police
A Hartford man is facing charges after he was caught in Connecticut following his kidnapping of an adult victim in Springfield, police said. On Monday, Jan. 16 around 8 p.m., state police in Connecticut were told of an active kidnapping that had happened in Springfield and were alerted that the suspect's gold Chevy Malibu with a temporary license plate was traveling south on I-91 toward Hartford County. State troopers then found the vehicle on I-91 southbound just before Exit 36 in Windsor and pulled it over. Inside the car, police determined that the vehicle's adult p…
News
RI Man Who Kidnapped, Killed MA's Jassy Correia Sentenced To Life In Prison
A Rhode Island man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for kidnapping and killing a 23-year-old mother from Boston, the US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts reports. Louis Coleman, of Providence, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility for the death of Jassy Correia, of Dorchester on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Corriera was reported missing after leaving her birthday celebration at Venu Nightclub in downtown Boston in the overnight hours of Sunday, February 24, 2019, authorities reported. Shortly after 2 a.m., Correia got separated from her friends and tried to getting a…
News
Massachusetts Serial Sex Offender Sentenced For Raping Woman At McDonald's
A convicted serial rapist has been sentenced for 25-30 years in prison for the 2018 rape of a woman in a McDonald's bathroom in Boston, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office reports. Shawn McClinton, age 41, raped and beat the woman in Dorchester McDonald's bathroom on February 19, 2018, the office reports. In a victim impact statement, the woman said the attack has caused her to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and that she struggles with daily panic attacks. “I feel as if Shawn McClinton tried to take my life away,” she said, according to the offic…
News
Risk Of Kidnappings, Violent Crime Prompts US State Department To Issue Mexico Travel Advisory
A new travel advisory has been issued for Americans who may be planning on heading to Mexico, warning them of "violent crime and kidnapping.” The US State Department advisory comes after incidents of vandalism, looting, and other crimes in the northern part of the Mexican state of Baja California, including the city of Tijuana, along the southern-most border of California. "Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico," the advisory states, noting that the US government "has limited ability to provide emergency services" to US ci…
Police & Fire
Victor Pena Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Boston Woman's Rape
Victor Pena, the Boston man convicted last week of kidnapping and raping a woman for three days, will spend the next several decades in prison. Judge Anthony Campo on Monday, Aug. 1, sentenced the 42-year-old man to 29-39 years in prison, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office announced. A Boston jury found Victor Pena guilty on Tuesday, July 26, of kidnapping a 23-year-old woman and raping her over multiple days at his Charlestown apartment in 2019. The jury deliberated for only two hours and returned guilty verdicts on one charge of kidnapping and ten counts of rape, Boston25 sa…
Police & Fire
Victor Pena Found Guilty Of Rape, Kidnapping Boston Woman In 2019: Report
A Boston jury found Victor Pena guilty Tuesday, July 26, of kidnapping a 23-year-old woman and raping her over multiple days at his Charlestown apartment in 2019, reports said. The jury deliberated for only two hours and returned guilty verdicts on one charge of kidnapping and ten counts of rape, Boston25 said. Both sides wrapped up their cases in closing arguments around noon on Tuesday. The weeklong trial featured some graphic and unsettling testimony from Boston police detectives and the victim and a shocking reversal when Pena, 42, took the witness stand in his defense on Monday. …
Police & Fire
NH Man Gets Life In Prison For 'Gruesome' Murder Of NJ Woman In Massachusetts
A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the gruesome death of a New Jersey native in Massachusetts, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said. Julian Squires, 48, from Manchester, was found guilty on charges of murder and kidnapping for his role in the Nov. 3, 2015 killing of Ashley Bortner, 29, of Paulsboro, Cruz said in a release. "The murder of Miss Bortner was particularly gruesome and cruel," DA Cruz said. "I am pleased that the jury saw the facts of this case and found Julian Squires guilty for his role in this heinous crime." New Hamps…
Police & Fire
Man Wanted For Raping Ex-Girlfriend, Kidnapping Another Nabbed In Western Mass
A wanted fugitive accused of heinous crimes against two of his former girlfriends has finally been arrested in Hampden County. Neftali Marcial, age 24, was arrested at a home in Springfield Tuesday, April 26, after nearly three months on the run, Massachusetts State Police said. He’s accused of assaulting and raping an ex-girlfriend in February of this year, and locking another former girlfriend in his basement and abusing her for nearly two weeks, police said. Since then, state and local police had been on the hunt for Marcial, checking several different addresses of interest with no…
Police & Fire
Man Accused Of Invading New England Home Dressed In Amazon Uniform
A man accused of wearing a fake Amazon delivery uniform during a Connecticut home invasion has been arrested. The suspect turned himself in to police on Thursday, April 8 for the incident that took place on Monday, Jan. 10 in New Haven County at a home in Milford. Shane Gordon, age 25, address unknown, was arrested for the crime that took place at 494 Naugatuck Ave., when according to the resident, two men dressed in Amazon delivery uniforms and carrying a package, forced their way into the home when the homeowner opened the door, Milford Police said. See Earlier Story: Suspects Dres…
Police & Fire
Man, Teen Nabbed For Abduction, Assault Of Woman From Big Y Parking Lot
A Connecticut man and a teen have been arrested for the alleged kidnapping, carjacking, and brutal beating of a woman from a supermarket parking lot last year. On Tuesday, March 1, state police arrested Kenneth Gordon, age 20, of Hartford, and a 16-year-old boy following a five-month investigation into the events which took place at the Big Y parking lot in Marlborough on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2021. At the time of the crime, police said the 64-year-old woman was getting into her car with groceries when she was approached by two masked men who demanded money. When she resisted, the two, a…
News
New Details Emerge After Missing Child Found In Dark, Wet Enclosure In NY
New details have emerged as the mother and father accused of abducting their daughter and hiding her in a hovel-like room under a staircase at an area home are set to appear in court. Ulster County residents Kimberly Cooper, age 33, and Kirk Shultis Jr., age 32, of Saugerties, were arrested Monday, Feb. 14, after police found Paislee Shultis, age 6, being held in a dark, wet room underneath a staircase in a Saugerties home. The couple abducted the then 4-year-old from her legal guardian from Cayuga Heights, near Ithaca, in Tompkins County, New York, in 2019, Saugerties Police Chief Joseph…
Police & Fire
Suspect Wanted In Western Mass For Alleged Kidnapping, Rape Of Child
Know him? An alert has been issued for a wanted teen with a warrant out for his arrest for alleged kidnapping and rape of a minor in Western Massachusetts. In Hampden County, police in West Springfield are seeking the public’s assistance in locating 19-year-old Gavin Gabriel Ortiz, who is wanted on multiple charges for an incident earlier this month. It is alleged that Ortiz allegedly kidnapped and raped a minor at an area motel on Tuesday, Dec. 14. Ortiz is wanted for: Enticing a child under the age of 16; Kidnapping; Aggravated rape of a child with force; Assault and battery; R…
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