Skip to content

POLICE LOG: CVS tweezers trip spirals into shouting match, scuffle and on-the-spot quitting

Table of Contents

This reporting takes time, access and context. Independent, reader-supported journalism means no paywalls, no algorithms — just facts, for everyone in Marblehead. We run on an $80,000 annual budget, and 95 percent of every dollar goes straight into journalism, not profit. You’re able to read this work free because 60 Marbleheaders already make it possible through annual and monthly contributions — and we endeavor to reach 100 members by Dec. 31 to keep this journalism strong. 🟦 Click here to become an Independent member.

Nov. 15

3:02 p.m. — Officers Andrew Clark and Douglas Mills responded to Broughton Road for a report of two teenagers allegedly attempting to gain access to a vacant residence. Upon arrival, Clark observed a young male wearing a black jacket and gray sweatpants near the property who fled into nearby woods when he noticed police presence. Officers confirmed the vacant unit remained secure with no signs of damage or forced entry. A neighbor who reported the incident stated the teens had been loitering around the property and smoking marijuana. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the individuals.

4:38 p.m. — Officer Nicholas Michaud responded to Leggs Hill Road for a traffic complaint regarding vehicles allegedly speeding in excess of 50 mph. Michaud retrieved handheld radar equipment and conducted speed enforcement in the area for approximately 30 minutes. During that time, no vehicles were observed exceeding 28 mph in the 25 mph zone. Weather conditions were clear with a temperature of approximately 42 degrees.

Nov. 16

8:31 p.m. — Officers Robert Picariello and Jason McDonald were dispatched to CVS on Atlantic Avenue for a dispute between an employee and manager. Upon arrival, Picariello met with the caller, an off-duty CVS employee who had come to the store to purchase tweezers. She reported that a male employee had allegedly yelled at her and falsely accused her of stealing during previous shifts. The woman called her boyfriend to the store after becoming frightened by the confrontation. The boyfriend reported the male employee got in his face and challenged him to fight outside while swearing at him. Outside the store, the woman positioned herself between her boyfriend and the employee when the employee pushed past her in an attempt to reach her boyfriend. Her boyfriend stated he pushed the employee in self-defense, and both ended up on the ground with the employee holding the boyfriend’s jacket to prevent him from getting up. When officers attempted to speak with the employee, he emerged from the back of the store in an enraged state, yelling that he does not speak with police and refusing to provide his name. The employee marched around the store in a panic while searching for his phone, then appeared to quit his job before leaving the store and walking away. Picariello obtained the name from another employee who called the head manager. Officers confirmed with the couple that they were free to leave and advised them they could file charges at Lynn District Court if desired. The store was advised to call police if the employee returned to the property.

Nov. 19

3:58 p.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to Lincoln Avenue to speak with a resident seeking advice regarding a contractor she had hired. The homeowner stated she hired a contractor after seeing his work at a nearby home. She reported the initial interaction became aggressive due to the contractor’s loud and angry tone of voice, and that he pressured her with a deadline to decide whether to hire him. After paying a $2,500 deposit, the contractor brought equipment to store in her backyard but allegedly has not begun any work for the past month. The homeowner stated that whenever she asks about the construction start date, the contractor yells at her. She described a recent encounter when she was in the restroom and heard loud banging on the front door, followed by the contractor yelling and accusing her of ignoring him. The homeowner stated she felt harassed by the contractor’s behavior. Hennigar advised the resident of her rights to obtain a harassment prevention order and instructed her to call police if another interaction occurs so officers can speak with the contractor and gather more information.

Nov. 20

9:49 a.m. — Officer Brandon Boutilier met with a resident in the station lobby regarding an alleged hacked Facebook account. The resident reported her account had been sending friend requests she did not initiate, and friends had messaged her with confusion about random videos or reels being sent without context. She stated she did not believe any personal information had been leaked. Boutilier advised the resident to change her Facebook password and log out of all devices, and to avoid sharing personal information or login credentials with anyone.

9:51 a.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney responded to an apartment on Creesy Street to speak with a tenant about issues with neighbors. The resident reported a package ordered from Temu had allegedly been stolen from outside her apartment door after UPS delivered it. She stated she has had multiple packages stolen in the past and wanted the incident documented. Sweeney advised the resident to obtain a post office box or use the UPS store to prevent future thefts and suggested installing a ring camera on her door.

3 p.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney was dispatched to the police station lobby to speak with a resident about an incident with a contractor. The homeowner stated she hired a contractor to inspect her chimney for potential work needed. After the contractor assessed the chimney and told her it required repairs, she paid $2,300 for the job. The contractor began work but then informed her he needed more time and would return on a later date to finish. The homeowner never heard from the contractor again and he would not return her calls. She then hired Mr. Chimney out of Peabody to complete the work. An employee from that company informed her she had been scammed and nothing was wrong with the chimney, pointing out that the original contractor had put concrete on undamaged bricks. The homeowner told Sweeney she had already initiated proceedings in small claims court to recover her money. Sweeney advised her to consult with an attorney for guidance on the civil process and stated a detective would look into the matter.

7:39 p.m. — Police Lieutenant Jason Conrad, while operating on Pleasant Street, observed a black Chevrolet pickup allegedly fail to stop for a red light at the Smith Street intersection. Conrad conducted a traffic stop on Humphrey Street and met with the operator, who produced a registration but stated he had no license. A Registry of Motor Vehicles query showed the operator only had a state-assigned number with no license status. The vehicle was parked legally on Humphrey Street, and the owner agreed to respond from his home to retrieve the vehicle and the operator.

Nov. 21

1:53 p.m. — Officer Brandon Boutilier responded to Lincoln Park for a report of alleged vandalism. The homeowner showed the officer minor damage to his backyard fence, with a small piece broken off the top and lying on his patio table. He stated he recently had a verbal altercation with neighbors and thought they might be involved, but was uncertain. The homeowner mentioned the neighbors have young children who could have been playing outside when the damage occurred. He requested the incident be documented but did not want to escalate the situation further. Boutilier documented the incident as requested.

8:56 p.m. — Officers Nicholas Michaud and Neil Comeau were dispatched to Rockaway Avenue for a report of a 16-year-old refusing to get in a car. Upon arrival, Michaud spoke with the teen, who stated he went out with friends to Dave’s Hot Chicken and then lost his phone in Marblehead. The teen said he did not want to get in the car with his older brother, who was upset with him. Michaud then spoke with the brother, who stated the teen did not have permission to be out and had not told anyone he had left. The brother said their mother was worried and expressed doubt that the teen had actually lost his phone, believing he was simply rejecting calls. After officers de-escalated the situation, the teen agreed to get in the car with his brother, and the brother agreed not to yell at him. The pair then left the scene.

Nov. 22

11:13 a.m. — Officers Brandon Boutilier and an assisting officer were dispatched to the Boston Yacht Club for a report of an alleged disturbance. Upon arrival, Boutilier met with a parking assistant for the yacht club in the parking lot. The employee reported he had been involved in an altercation with a male in a vehicle that had already left. He stated he observed a black Honda Accord traveling the wrong way on Water Street. When the employee approached the driver to inform him he was going the wrong way, the male exited his vehicle and became confrontational. The employee stated the male walked toward him with his arms raised and said, “what are you going to do about it?” The employee explained he was only trying to prevent an accident by advising the driver. The male then returned to his vehicle and drove away, at which point the employee called police. Boutilier documented the conversation.

Nov. 26

10:37 a.m. — Officer Taylor Nolasco was dispatched to the police station lobby for a report of alleged vandalism. The homeowner stated that around 9:30 a.m., when she went to walk her dog, she noticed someone had thrown an egg at her home. She stated she did not believe she was the intended target of the vandalism and explained she bought the home in August or September from a previous owner. The homeowner believed the former owner was the intended target. She did not have any cameras on her property and had not noticed if neighbors had cameras. Nolasco advised her the incident would be forwarded to the Criminal Investigation Division.

Nov. 28

11:19 a.m. — Officer Jason McDonald was dispatched to Fairview Road for a complaint of alleged suspicious activity. The caller reported an unknown woman had entered the basement apartment of his house using a key and then left. The caller is currently going through the court system to evict the current tenant of that apartment. McDonald advised the caller that since the eviction has not been completed, the tenant can still provide keys to friends to enter his apartment. The caller understood it was a civil matter.

Noon — Officer Taylor Nolasco was dispatched to Vine Street for a report of a scam call. Upon arrival, Nolasco met with residents who stated they receivedan alleged text message from Apple claiming a purchase of $149.99 had been made on their account, with instructions to call a number to decline the transaction. The resident called the number at approximately 11:16 a.m. and spoke with a female caller who stated there was fraud on the account related to pornographic activity and online betting. The caller instructed the resident not to do online shopping, use social media, conduct online banking or tell anyone about the situation. The resident became suspicious and hung up to call 911. Nolasco asked if the resident had contacted her bank to confirm any suspicious transactions, and she stated she had not. Nolasco advised the resident to check with her bank and stated all information would be provided to the Criminal Investigation Division since scam calls are common in the area.

7:20 p.m. — Officers Jason McDonald and Christian Hennigar were dispatched to The Barrelman Pub on Washington Street for a report of a kicked-in door. Upon arrival, McDonald noticed the main entrance double wooden doors were ajar. It appeared someone had pulled on the handle, which released the bolt from the other door. Hennigar and McDonald cleared the pub and found everything in order inside. McDonald was able to secure the doors but noted that due to their aged condition, someone could pull them open again. Dispatch notified the owner of the findings. A representative arrived with the owner on the phone, and officers spoke with the owner who was satisfied with the findings and instructed his representative on how to secure the building.

Nov. 30

9:40 a.m. — Officer McDonald was dispatched to Turner Road for an alleged vandalized bus complaint. The now-closed Coffin School has become a town storage yard for old decommissioned vehicles, including a 2007 Blue Bird school bus. Officer McDonald noticed the bus had a smashed passenger window as well as damaged turn signals, headlights and driver side mirror. It was unclear when the vandalism occurred due to the bus being stored there for several weeks or months. Security cameras had been removed from the closed school. McDonald placed a call to a school committee member and informed him of the findings. The committee member stated he would speak with the school superintendent to determine future plans for the bus. On Dec. 1, McDonald received a follow-up call from the committee member who reported the bus has been donated to the Marblehead Fire Department for emergency response training and is no longer a functioning bus for the school department.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Latest