Table of Contents
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Dec. 16
8:34 a.m. — Patrol Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded to the intersection of Smith Street and Pleasant Street for a report of a truck that had allegedly snapped a utility pole in half, leaving wires hanging low and creating a significant hazard. A witness told the officer that he was driving several cars behind a large white box truck with an orange cab when he saw the truck attempt to maneuver around a vehicle waiting to turn left. During this maneuver, the truck allegedly struck the pole or the wires, causing the damage. Mastrangelo contacted the trucking company’s dispatcher, who initially stated that the fleet’s collision detection systems had not triggered and that no trucks were in Marblehead. However, the dispatcher later called back to confirm a truck had indeed been at that specific intersection between 8:31 a.m. and 8:51 a.m.. The officer contacted the driver, who admitted to being in the area but denied hitting anything. Although photos of the truck emailed to the officer showed no obvious damage, the driver was added to the accident report based on the witness account and the confirmed timeline.
11:30 a.m. — Patrol Officer Brandon Boutilier was dispatched to the police station to take a phone report regarding an alleged breaking and entering at a residence on West Shore Drive. The resident stated she had been away since the early morning of Dec. 13 and had armed her security system before leaving, receiving a confirmation text that the house was secure. Upon returning that morning, she noticed the system did not beep when she opened the door, leading her to believe someone had bypassed it to enter the home. She alleged that approximately $10,000 in cash and various memorabilia items were missing, though she acknowledged there were no signs of forced entry and that she lives alone with no one else possessing the security code. Later that afternoon, the resident contacted Boutilier again to report that she had spoken with the alarm company, who attributed the lack of a signal to a “faulty system failure.” She advised the officer she would be handling the matter through the company’s claims department.
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Dec. 17
7:08 p.m. — Patrol Officer Christopher Gallo responded to a residence on Rowland Street to assist a citizen regarding suspicious activity. The resident reported finding suspicious footprints in the snow outside her home two days prior and provided the officer with a photo of a footprint showing a large, rough-tread shoe. She further explained that two weeks earlier, she had seen a man near the garage door of the apartment building who was startled and ran away when a motion detector light activated. Gallo noted that nothing else appeared out of place and that the garage contained only lawn furniture.
Dec. 19
12:45 p.m. — Patrol Officer Douglas Mills responded to Homestead Road for a report of a town-owned tree that had fallen onto a private residence during a rainstorm featuring strong wind gusts. Upon arrival, Mills observed the large tree resting on the home, causing apparent damage in multiple locations. The Marblehead Municipal Light Department and the Tree Department arrived at the scene to remove the tree without incident. Mills advised the homeowner to contact their insurance provider regarding the damage.
Dec. 20
7:30 p.m. — Police Lt. Jason Conrad received a call from an employee of a business on Bessom Street who was irate regarding an alleged lack of police response to a dispute that occurred on Dec. 11. The employee claimed a customer had been aggressive, asked him if he “wanted to come outside and settle things,” and was now “blowing up” the business with negative reviews on Google. During the call with Conrad, the employee repeatedly interrupted, spoke over the lieutenant, and questioned if he needed to do the police’s job for them, citing “crimes” and “child endangerment” without providing evidence to support such charges. Conrad researched the dispatch logs and found that the employee had initially told dispatchers that the customer had “just peeled out” and that “there’s nothing to check out,” explicitly telling officers not to come to the store. Conrad later interviewed the customer involved, who explained that he had been returning items when the employee emerged from a back office yelling and acting aggressively, causing the customer’s 4-year-old son to begin shaking in fear. The customer stated he picked up his child and left the store to avoid further escalation.
Dec. 22
7:23 a.m. — Patrol Officer Nicholas Fratini was dispatched to Cloutmans Lane for a report of an alleged hit-and-run collision. A resident reported that their 2017 Honda Accord, which had been parked on the street facing east, sustained damage to the passenger side overnight while the owner was sleeping. Fratini noted there were no witnesses or surveillance cameras in the area to identify the responsible vehicle.
9:26 a.m. — Patrol Officer Brandon Boutilier responded to the police station lobby to meet with employees of a business on Beringer Way regarding a dispute over a package. The reporting parties stated they received a package addressed to a former employee who allegedly called and warned them he had “no business opening that package.” The business owners opened the package to confirm if the contents were business-related and discovered children’s items, including two “Wicked Ozian” balloons, two “L.O.L. Surprise” dolls and a “Rainbow Shimmers” bow. Wishing to avoid further conflict with the individual, they surrendered the items to the police for safekeeping. Boutilier contacted the former employee, who confirmed the contents were his personal order from Walmart and agreed to pick them up from the station.
11:24 a.m. — Patrol Officer Andrew Clark responded to Brook Road to take a report regarding the theft of tools. A contractor installing solar panels reported that he and his partner had left a table on the sidewalk with miscellaneous items while they ran an errand for approximately 25 minutes. Upon their return, a heavy-duty tote bag containing sockets, drivers, a tape measure, carpenter pencils, and chalk lines—valued at approximately $200—was missing. Clark observed that the placement of the table might have suggested the items were being discarded, and both the officer and the contractor agreed it was likely the person who took the bag believed it was trash.
2:54 p.m. — Patrol Officer Brandon Boutilier was dispatched to the police station to take a report regarding a larceny on Guernsey Street. A resident reported that his corporate Lenovo laptop, valued at $1,200, was stolen from his vehicle parked on the street between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.. The resident stated he had briefly gone inside his home and left his keys in the unlocked car during that time. The resident’s employer froze the data on the device, and the resident reported that neither he nor his neighbors had surveillance cameras that covered the area.
Dec. 23
9:54 a.m. — Patrol Officer Jason McDonald responded to a toy store on Pleasant Street where an employee reported difficulty securing the front door’s deadbolt the previous night. The employee also pointed out a small chip in the wooden frame of the rear door at the exact height of the deadbolt. McDonald inspected the locks and frames and determined the issues were not malicious, likely resulting from freezing temperatures and the bolt striking the frame while the door was being pulled closed.
12:49 p.m. — Patrol Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded to the police station lobby for a report of fraud. A resident of Pinecliff Drive reported that her phone had been hacked on Dec. 18 and that shortly after, someone accessed her Eastern Bank account and attempted to transfer $2,000. The bank identified the transaction as fraudulent and cancelled it. The resident also noted that her LinkedIn account had been altered by the unknown party. Mastrangelo advised the resident to have her device checked for spyware at the Apple Store and to change all passwords.
Dec. 26
10:09 a.m. — Patrol Officer Samuel Rizos received a phone report regarding an alleged package theft from a residence on Bennett Road. The reporting party stated she had ordered a 12-piece Hexclad cookware set on sale and had been hiding the delivered packages in a pile to keep them as a surprise for Christmas. On Christmas morning, she opened the boxes and discovered that one of the three packages—delivered on Dec. 5 and containing half the pots and pans—was missing from the pile. UPS provided photographic proof that all three boxes had been delivered, but the resident lacked security cameras to capture the theft of the package, which she valued at approximately $300.
2:31 p.m. — Patrol Officer Robert Picariello was dispatched to the police station lobby to take a report of alleged larceny that occurred at the library on Pleasant Street. The reporting party stated he and a friend were filming a “prank video” at the library with a professional camera after receiving permission from staff. While they were filming, a man allegedly walked up to them, took the JBL Flip 7 speaker they were using for the prank, and walked out of the building. The victim provided a photo of the suspect to Picariello, noting that library staff did not recognize the man.
Dec. 27
9:49 a.m. — Patrol Officer Andrew Clark responded to Pleasant Street for a report of a minor motor vehicle crash. A resident reported that while backing out of his driveway, his vehicle was allegedly struck by another car. The other driver allegedly could not produce a license, claimed he would return with it, but failed to do so. The resident identified the vehicle as belonging to a local gourmet food business. Clark went to the business on Bessom Street and spoke with an employee who explained the driver had lost his license, possibly at the post office, and was currently looking for it. Clark located the driver and facilitated the exchange of information, during which the driver expressed surprise at the officer’s involvement and claimed the resident had actually backed into him.
Dec. 29
5:49 p.m. — Patrol Officer Christian Hennigar observed a black Mercedes SUV stopped in the middle of Humphrey Street with its hazard lights on and trunk open. The operator told Hennigar the vehicle had broken down and he was waiting for a tow. A check of the vehicle’s registration revealed it was revoked or expired. A police tow was requested, and the driver was picked up by a friend. Hennigar contacted the driver the following day to inform him that the citation for the unregistered vehicle would be voided and replaced with a verbal warning.
