Excerpts from the Marblehead police log of Friday, April 7 through Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Consistent with state law, Marblehead Police have adopted a policy of not providing to media outlets reports related to incidents related to domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation.
Friday, April 7
10:18 a.m. An officer assisted in the investigation of an odor reported inside a building on Creesy Street.
11:42 a.m. An officer helped the driver of a tractor-trailer navigate Hawkes Street and Atlantic Avenue.
2:20 p.m. An officer investigated an MBTA bus alert on Pleasant Street.
3:18 p.m. Officers assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash on Humphrey Street.
5:17 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Sheldon Road and filed a report.
5:58 p.m. Officers investigated suspicious activity reported on Commercial and Prospect streets.
7:01 p.m. A backpack was found on Wyman Road.
9:18 p.m. While driving around the back of Star of the Sea Community Center, an officer noticed what appeared to be something smoldering on one of the Seaside Park tennis courts. The officer exited his cruiser and observed a small fire pit had been constructed against the tennis wall, and there was an open bag of marshmallows laying next to it. The officer found that the fire had extinguished itself and appeared to have not been burning long. While investigating the fire, the officer also observed a lot of graffiti, written mostly in black, on the tennis wall and court itself, which appeared to be new. The Park Department was notified to clean up the area.
10:58 p.m. Officers assisted at the scene as a brush fire was extinguished on Frost Lane.
Saturday, April 8
5:06 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Farrell Court to investigate a resident’s report that her neighbor was playing loud music, which was an ongoing issue between the two. Upon his arrival, the officer could not hear any noise from the unit from which the music had allegedly been coming. The officer then noticed the caller looking out of her window, so he went over to her residence to talk to her. The woman invited the officer in to try to hear the alleged loud music, but he could not hear any loud music or noise at all. When he shared this with the resident, the woman said her neighbor must have turned it down. The woman said she would be having a meeting with the Marblehead Housing Authority on April 18 to talk about this ongoing issue. The officer planned to forward his report to the Housing Authority.
8:51 a.m. An officer assisted with a disabled vehicle on Lafayette and Pleasant streets.
10:44 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman who reported that over the last couple of weeks, she had been getting mail addressed to another woman at her home. The mail included correspondence from the Registry of Motor Vehicles and State Police regarding a traffic stop on Jan. 19, where the other woman had used the resident’s address and was being summoned by State Police for falsifying a window tint waiver from the RMV. The woman reported that she had also gotten an annual census from the town clerk that listed the other woman as a resident of her address. The resident explained that the other woman has never lived or even visited at her address, and she believed that the other woman, a Lynn resident, was using her address to defraud her auto insurance provider, as it was most likely cheaper to insure a vehicle in Marblehead. The resident added that she has known the other woman’s mother for a long time and had reached out to her about her daughter using her address. The resident stated that the other woman’s mother stopped speaking to her. The resident did not want to be complicit in the other woman using her address. The officer advised the woman to stop in at the town clerk’s office when they opened for business to clarify the census. The officer also advised the resident to refuse any future mail addressed to the other woman by writing that the addressee does not live at that address directly on the piece of mail and return it to the post office to be returned to sender.
5:43 p.m. At the police station, an officer took a report of a past hit-and-run from a woman whose vehicle had been parked in the back lot of the Warwick Cinema while she watched a movie. When she returned to her vehicle at around 5:30 p.m., she observed damage on the driver’s side rear quarter panel that had not been there prior. The woman believed that there had been a silver vehicle parked on that side of her vehicle when she arrived, which was not parked there when she left. The officer inspected the damage, which consisted of deep scrapes and partially torn-off wheel well trim. The woman had noticed several cameras affixed to the building, which should have captured the crash. The officer followed up with management of The Beacon Restaurant, who advised that they were not certain that the cameras record. The officer left his business card with restaurant management, who advised they would check with the building’s management company, as they only rent space and have no access to the cameras on the outside of the building. As of the end of his shift, the officer had not heard from building management.
7:58 p.m. Officers were dispatched to investigate a report that teenagers had used a dumpster to climb up to the roof of 7 Eleven on Pleasant Street. They parked in the rear parking lot of the National Grand Bank and then one of the officers activated the flood light on his cruiser to illuminate the top of Coastline Marine Center, which revealed six teenagers sitting on the roof. An officer ordered them to come down, which they did using the same dumpster. Officers determined that they had just been hanging out up there and advised them that they were not allowed to be up there and sent them on their way.
Sunday, April 9
12:31 a.m. Officers investigated a report of loud people on Commercial Street but could not find them.
8:39 a.m. Officers investigated a report of an open door on Pleasant Street.
10:14 a.m. A bike was reported missing on Sewall Street.
10:36 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Washington Street to investigate the report by the owner of Flores Mantilla that someone had stole a jar of daffodils and pot of hyacinth from her
sidewalk display, which had been captured on security video at around 3:30 a.m. A middle-aged caucasian man is seen walking up to the display from lower Washington Street, picking up the two items and walking back in the direction from which he had come. If the man was identified, the owner said she did not want to pursue charges or be compensated. The owner emailed the officer a copy of the security footage, which he forwarded to detectives.
Noon An officer was dispatched to Dodge Road to investigate a vandalism complaint. A man reported that sometime overnight April 7 into April 8, someone had entered his driveway and punctured three of the tires on his Chevy Suburban, leaving the two front tires and rear passenger tire all with slow leaks. The man filled the tires up because he initially did not see any damage to them. The tires showed no obvious signs of being slashed, but they were also not holding air. The officer was unsuccessful in locating any cameras that might have recorded the incident. The officer forwarded his report to detectives.
1:16 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Broughton Road to investigate a report of harassment. Upon his arrival, he was met by a woman who had been receiving Snapchat videos from a woman screaming about how the Marblehead resident better pay her for the damage to her storm door. The resident showed the officer a video she took on her phone of one of the voice messages from the other woman, in which the woman threatened to damage the resident’s storm door in retribution for the damage the resident had allegedly done to hers. The officer informed the resident about her 209A rights and the process of obtaining a restraining order. The resident did not want to obtain a restraining order immediately but said that she would keep that in mind for the future. The resident just wanted the incident documented in case the harassment escalated.
9:35 p.m. Officers assisted a resident on Lafayette Street and filed a report.
Monday, April 10
8:41 a.m. An officer investigated a report of vandalism on Wyman Road.
11:51 a.m. While on patrol, an officer observed a van drive through a red light on West Shore Drive and Lafayette Street, where there is a “no turn on red” sign posted. The driver cooperated with police and was courteous throughout the vehicle stop. The man admitted to making the turn on red, explaining that he had not seen the sign until he was already making the turn. Upon further investigation, the officers discovered an issue with his license, which the man believed to be a mistake from an incident in Maine that he thought he had resolved, with the help of an attorney. The officer explained that this would result in a criminal application, which would require him to go to court. The man said he understood. The officer advised him to keep a close watch for paperwork coming from the court so that he could resolve the issue without further complications. The vehicle, which was registered to the man’s business, was towed, and the man ordered a ride from a ride share service to get home.
3:12 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Sheldon Road to investigate a report of items left in the street, which indicated a possible continuation of a dispute between neighbors. Upon his arrival, the officer met with town Health Director Andrew Petty and observed a small silver trash can on the side of the roadway, which was filled with bags of dog feces. The officer and Petty then made contact with a resident to whom Petty explained that leaving items in the street on trash collection days may result in fines. He said that he was there to clarify what was not permitted to prevent her from receiving fines in the future. The officer explained the role of police is to investigate complaints about her placing items in the roadway and, if substantiated, to document them, at which point the Board of Health might take action. The woman moved the trash can from the roadway. Petty explained when and for how long she could place items out for trash and recycling pick up on the roadside, and the woman said she understood. During the conversation, the woman reported ongoing harassment from her neighbors. The officer asked the woman if she had been threatened by her neighbors, and she said no. The woman was advised that her neighbors have the right to park in front of her home, and if they choose to greet her from the roadway using profanity and rude hand gestures, she could report them to police to substantiate a request for a harassment prevention order. The woman said that she had attempted this in the past and that “the judge laughed me out of court.” The officer explained that she could attempt to try again but that in the meantime should try to avoid contact with her neighbors altogether. The officer told the woman that he would speak with her neighbors and ask them to refrain from any contact with her as well. The neighbors told the officer that they have been avoiding contact with the woman and denied harassing her. The couple told the officer that the judge had refused to give the other woman a harassment prevention order because they had not done anything. They explained that they have been neighbors for years, but that in recent years they have had a falling out, which prompted the couple to install cameras on their property as a safeguard against any false allegations their neighbor might make. The officer explained their rights to a harassment prevention order and reiterated the advice to stay away from their neighbor, if possible.
4:45 p.m. A caller reported a hole in the sidewalk on Shepard and Garfield streets.
5:12 p.m. Officers responded to the scene of an accident involving a vehicle and a bicyclist on Lafayette and Maple streets. Upon their arrival, the bicyclist was laying in the intersection and being attended to by firefighters and EMS workers. The officer went to speak with the driver of the vehicle, who explained that she had been traveling outbound on Lafayette Street and stopped at the set of lights at the intersection of Lafayette and Maple streets to make a left-hand turn onto Maple Street. She explained that she had been fully stopped while waiting for the inbound traffic to clear to make the turn, making the turn onto Maple Street after the last vehicle cleared. While making the turn, she collided with the bicyclist, whom she had not seen after the last vehicle passed her. She explained that she had a green light and estimated her speed at roughly 3-4 mph when she collided with the bike. The woman’s vehicle had damage to its front left side. The officer then went to speak with the bicyclist to get a statement. The bicyclist explained that he was traveling inbound on Lafayette Street. While traveling through the intersection at Lafayette and Maple streets, a vehicle that was making a left-hand turn collided with him. The bicyclist explained that he was behind a vehicle following the flow of traffic. He estimated that he was riding at around 10-15 mph. In a follow-up investigation, it was determined that the man had been wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The man also said that someone at the scene, possibly a firefighter or EMT, had estimated he had been thrown 12 feet from the bike. An officer also spoke with two witnesses who confirmed the details of the crash, including that the vehicle and the bicycle both had a green light at the time of the crash.
In his report, an officer noted that traffic flow was “extremely heavy,” that road conditions were dry, that it was sunny and clear, and that there was solar glare affecting the outbound lane on Lafayette Street in which the vehicle had been traveling.
6:45 p.m. An officer met and spoke with a parent whose son had received several text messages over the course of a half-hour from an unknown source, which included content that the parent deemed inappropriate for a 10-year-old. The parent planned to download the contents to a printer and email a copy for police to follow up. The parent had blocked the sender from sending any further messages.
8:32 p.m. An officer assisted with a bus stuck at Market Square.
Tuesday, April 11
11:52 a.m. A caller reported having lost three credit cards on Pleasant Street.
4:08 p.m. An officer began to conduct enforcement of the state law permitting only hands-free cell phone use while driving. He issued at least two citations and two verbal warnings before day’s end.
4:35 p.m. Officers investigated suspicious activity reported on Victoria Lane.
5:03 p.m. An officer assisted as a brush fire was extinguished on Green Street.
5:22 p.m. The officer assigned to conduct traffic enforcement observed a vehicle pass by his location near the police station being driven by a man holding a cellphone while heading outbound on Atlantic Avenue. After stopping the vehicle, the officer found that the driver did not have a driver’s license, only a card from the Guatemalan Consulate, despite having been in the United States for seven years. The officer explained to the driver why he had been stopped and told him to call someone to come pick him up. The registered owner of the vehicle arrived with a friend and drove the car and the man away.
Wednesday, April 12
2:01 p.m. A Weston Road resident reported having received a scam call.
2:44 p.m. An officer was dispatched to the Richdale convenience store on Smith Street to investigate a report of a person bothering the store owner. Upon his arrival, the officer met with the owner, who stated that he had been having an ongoing issue with an individual, who was later identified, who today had been standing in the doorway of the business, holding the door open and blocking the entrance, which the owner had documented on video. The owner stated that he had asked the man to close the door and not block the entrance but was ignored, which is when he called the police. The officer looked at the picture of the individual involved and walked the area to see if he could locate him. The officer saw the person in front of the post office next door with a group of kids and began to walk over. When he noticed the officer walking toward him, he began to walk away. When the officer got close, he motioned for the young man to stop, which he did. The officer asked what had transpired at Richdale with the owner, and the young man said that he was just holding the door open for people. The officer asked if the owner had asked him to close the door and not block the door, and the young man said that the owner had not. The officer informed him that he had watched the video, which showed that he was not merely holding the door open for people. The owner stated that he did not want the young man in his store again, even if it is in the doorway. The officer informed the young man that he was not allowed in the store again and informed him that standing in the middle of the doorway holding the door open and blocking the entrance would be considered trespassing, and he would be subject to charges if he were to do so. The young man had been served a no-trespass letter for the store by another officer the previous June. The owner stated that he did not wish to pursue charges this time but would if the young man caused problems again.
3:54 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Starbucks on Pleasant Street to investigate a report of a group of 12 to 15 children causing a disturbance, who had already left the area by the time they arrived. The manager reported that the same group of children had been causing problems in Starbucks for several weeks, yelling at one another and participating in horseplay. The manager believed that the children go to the Marblehead Charter School, as they arrive at Starbucks shortly after the Charter School day ends, but the manager did not know any of their names. The officer informed the manager of the process of obtaining a no-trespass order against the children, and he stated he would keep it in mind. He also said that he would call the police if he had issues with the group of children in the future. While two officers were speaking with the manager, another officer searched for the children but was unable to locate them.
8:52 p.m. A 43-year-old Everett man was arrested and charged with driving with a revoked license and speeding in violation of a special regulation after a traffic stop on Seaview and Atlantic avenues.
