Table of Contents
Jan. 1
12:30 a.m. — Officer Taylor Nolasco was traveling outbound from Ocean Avenue onto Atlantic Avenue in a marked cruiser when a gray Honda CR-V allegedly ran a red light while traveling inbound on Atlantic Avenue, causing a collision between the two vehicles. Nolasco radioed dispatch at 12:32 a.m. to report the crash and her location. The operator of the Honda exited his vehicle to assess damage, and both parties initially declined fire and emergency medical services. Lt. Jason Conrad arrived on scene and conducted a preliminary investigation. The Honda sustained damage to the passenger-side rear bumper and quarter panel, with a rear light housing found on the ground at the apparent point of impact. The cruiser sustained only smudge markings on the push bar. The Honda operator denied running the red light and indicated he had dash cam footage, but despite multiple requests from Conrad and being provided a business card with contact information, the footage had not been submitted as of 2:38 a.m. A short time after Conrad cleared the scene, the Honda operator reported leg and back pain. Emergency medical services responded and transported him to a hospital in Salem. A licensed operator retrieved his vehicle from the scene.
Jan. 2
11:30 a.m. — Officer Daniel Gagnon responded to a residence on Ocean Avenue for a report of vandalism. The resident reported that his house had allegedly been struck with eggs. Gagnon observed egg yolks on the storm door and shake siding. The resident stated he first noticed the damage the previous day at approximately 11:15 a.m. but did not hear the eggs striking his home and was uncertain when the incident occurred. The case was documented as malicious destruction of property.
Jan. 5
10:20 a.m. — Officer Douglas Mills responded to the police station lobby to take an identity theft report. A resident of Clifton Avenue reported she was the victim of identity fraud, alleging that someone had taken out a student loan using her personal information. The resident stated she never applied for the loan and had already reported the matter to the Federal Trade Commission. She needed a police report for further documentation. Mills documented the incident and confirmed she was a victim of identity fraud.
Jan. 7
8:58 p.m. — Sgt. Andrew DiMare was on proactive patrol on Mugford Street approaching the Market Square intersection when he observed a white Honda Pilot that had allegedly disregarded DO NOT ENTER signs and was traveling the wrong way around the Old Town House onto Mugford Street. DiMare activated his cruiser’s blue lights and stopped the vehicle on Green Street as it turned onto Pond Street. The operator provided the vehicle registration but stated she did not have her license on her person. She acknowledged knowing she had gone the wrong way around the Town House while leaving a meeting. A records check revealed the operator held a Vermont license that was not valid, and department records showed she had resided at her current address since at least August 2018 despite claiming she had lived in Massachusetts for only about a year. DiMare advised the operator she was required to have a Massachusetts license and that she could not continue operating the vehicle. After initially expressing reluctance to wake her family, the operator arranged for a friend to retrieve the vehicle. The friend arrived, was confirmed to hold a valid license and took possession of the vehicle.
Jan. 11
3:30 p.m. — A resident of Front Street reported to police that while shopping at a liquor store on Bessom Street, he noticed his bank debit card was missing from his wallet and paid for his purchase in cash. He later discovered that the same card had been used at the same store approximately 15 minutes after he left, resulting in a fraudulent charge of $21.18. The resident returned to the store and obtained receipts for both transactions: his cash purchase at 3:28 p.m. and the fraudulent credit transaction at 3:45 p.m. He believes he dropped the card sometime between exiting his vehicle and making his purchase. Officer Douglas Mills took the report when the resident came to the station on Jan. 12. Mills documented the incident and notified Detective Sgt. Brady for follow-up. The resident reported the fraud through his online banking and canceled the card.
Jan. 12
1 p.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded to the police station lobby for a report of fraud. A resident reported that beginning Saturday morning, he had been receiving emails and phone calls from an entity identifying itself as a support service, claiming someone was attempting to take out a $2,000 loan in his name. The emails were sent to an old email account the resident had not used in years, and he had no idea how the information was obtained. Mastrangelo advised the resident to notify his credit agencies and alert his bank to the situation. The case was forwarded to the Criminal Investigation Division.
3 p.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo met with an off-duty Salem police officer at the station to document a report of a dangerous motor vehicle incident. The officer reported that he and his wife were traveling inbound on Pleasant Street in the left lane, approaching the intersection with Smith Street, when a vehicle allegedly attempted to pass him at a high rate of speed and then cut in front of him, forcing him into the oncoming traffic lane. The officer stated the only way he could avoid a collision was to veer into oncoming traffic, and he activated his horn repeatedly. The operator of the other vehicle, later identified through dispatch, allegedly extended her middle finger repeatedly out of the window and then made a hand gesture in the shape of a heart. At the intersection of Pleasant Street and Ocean Avenue, the reporting officer pulled alongside the vehicle and stated he was calling the police. At the time, he was wearing a jacket with a Salem Police logo but confirmed he did not identify himself as a police officer. Mastrangelo documented the incident as requested.
6:24 p.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to a residence on Schooner Ridge to take a fraud report. A 78-year-old resident reported she believed she had been scammed by an unknown individual posing as a Medicare employee selling Medicare plans. The resident stated she had received a Medicare pamphlet earlier in the day, which made the subsequent phone call at approximately 3 p.m. seem legitimate. The caller allegedly asked for her Social Security number, which she provided, and then requested that she mail a saliva sample using UPS. After providing her Social Security number, the resident became suspicious and believed she had been scammed. Hennigar advised her on ways to protect her identity, including contacting her bank to notify them of potential fraudulent activity and freezing her credit with the three major credit bureaus.
Jan. 14
9:53 p.m. — Officer Dean Peralta responded to a residence on Farrell Court for a report of a stolen package. A resident reported that Amazon had delivered a package earlier in the evening. The delivery service had provided a photograph showing the package outside the door, but when the resident went to retrieve it, the package was gone. The contents allegedly included shelves and USB port cables. The resident stated he had checked with neighbors but was unable to locate the package. Peralta advised the resident to contact Amazon and informed him that a police report would be on file if needed.
