Excerpts from the Marblehead police log April 23 — May 8. Consistent with state law, police have adopted a policy of not providing media outlets reports related to incidents involving domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation.
April 23
1:24 p.m. – Officer Robert Picariello arrived and spoke with a Washington Street tenant, who stated that her landlord had been threatening her over unpaid utility bills. Picariello then interviewed the landlord, who said he simply wanted the bills paid so he could move back into his apartment as originally agreed. Picariello informed both parties that this was a civil matter, not a criminal one. The tenant was in the process of moving out that day and the landlord agreed to allow her to finish doing so and wait until the following day to return to the apartment.
4:55 p.m. – The Unitarian Universalist Church on Mugford Street requested police assistance regarding a suspicious voicemail. Officer Robert Picariello met with a church employee who played a voicemail. The message allegedly made references to witchcraft and Jesus in a concerning manner. The caller was not identified. Picariello documented the incident and advised the church to contact police again if any further suspicious activity occurred. Extra patrols of the area were requested.
5 p.m. – A two-vehicle crash was reported on Atlantic Avenue. Officer Tyler Bates responded and determined that a vehicle traveling on Atlantic Avenue had sideswiped a parked vehicle, causing the moving vehicle to jump the curb and end up on the sidewalk. The driver told Bates that she may have hit a curb earlier in the day, which could have knocked the vehicle out of alignment and contributed to the crash. No injuries were reported at the scene. Both vehicles sustained damage and were towed from the scene.
9 p.m. – The police department received another call related to an earlier landlord-tenant dispute on Washington Street. The tenant reported that the landlord had returned to the property and was yelling at her as she was in the process of moving out. Officer Robert Picariello responded and located the landlord nearby. Picariello advised the man that he needed to leave the area and allow the tenant to finish vacating the apartment that evening, as previously agreed. The landlord complied and left. Picariello remained on scene until the tenant left for the night.
April 27
1:19 p.m. – A May Street resident called police to report that his son’s bicycle had been stolen from their front yard sometime overnight. Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded and spoke with the owner, who stated the bicycle was last seen in the yard around midnight. No suspect information was available. Mastrangelo entered the bicycle’s information into the department’s stolen property database and advised the owner to call back if he discovered any additional details.
4:28 p.m. – A man visited the police station lobby to report that his wallet was stolen from his vehicle while it was parked on Norman Street. Officer Robert Picariello spoke with the man, who said he left his wallet inside his unlocked vehicle for about an hour while working on his boat nearby. When he returned to his vehicle, he discovered the wallet missing. The wallet contained cash, credit cards, a driver’s license and important immigration documents. Picariello provided the man with information on identity theft prevention and contacted his financial institutions to cancel his cards.
April 29
11 a.m. – While on patrol, Officer Jason McDonald conducted a property check at Temple Emanu-El on Atlantic Avenue. He was approached by a dog walker who reported finding a small plastic capsule on the ground nearby on Spray Avenue. The capsule contained a white powder believed to be an illicit drug. McDonald took custody of the item and transported it back to the police station, where it was entered into evidence and sent to a lab for testing.
May 1
3:57 p.m. – A hit-and-run crash was reported on Marion Road. Officer Dennis DeFelice responded and observed moderate damage to the rear driver’s side quarter panel of the victim’s parked vehicle. The victim told DeFelice he noticed the damage when he returned to his car, but did not witness the crash. No paint transfer or debris from the suspect vehicle was located. DeFelice advised the victim to contact his insurance company and call police again if he discovers any leads. Neighborhood canvasses for potential witnesses were unsuccessful.
May 3
Noon – A resident came into the police station to report fraudulent activity on his airline mileage account. Officer Adam Mastrangelo met with the man, who said three unauthorized individuals had redeemed a total of 40,500 miles from his account, valued at approximately $400. The redemptions appeared to have originated from overseas. Mastrangelo recommended the victim notify his airline to flag the account and request the miles be refunded. The case was referred to detectives who will coordinate with federal agencies due to the international nature of the incident.
May 4
9:38 a.m. – A woman came to the police station to report ongoing harassment by her former landlord. Officer Dennis DeFelice spoke with her and learned that she previously lived in an apartment on Washington Street, but recently moved out after several disputes with the landlord. She said the landlord had been driving by her new residence on Colonial Court and she believed he had left some of her furniture on the property without permission. DeFelice recommended the woman seek a harassment prevention order against the landlord. He also took a report and advised her to call police if the man returns to her new address or tries to contact her.
9 p.m. – While working a detail at a carnival on Devereux Beach, Officer Daniel Gagnon was approached by a carnival worker who found a wallet on the ground. Gagnon inspected the wallet and found several gift cards inside, but no identification. Gagnon transported the found property back to the police station, where it was entered into the lost and found log. If an owner is not located within 30 days, the property will be donated to charity per department policy.
May 6
11:32 a.m. – A Garden Road resident came to the police station to turn in several pieces of mail that had been delivered to his home in error. Officer Douglas Mills examined the mail and found that it was intended for a resident of an address in Boston that was very similar to the man’s home in Marblehead. The incorrectly delivered items included a vehicle title, excise tax bill and a recall notice from an auto manufacturer. Mills determined the issue was likely a clerical error made by the Registry of Motor Vehicles. He mailed the title back to the RMV as instructed. The other items will be held at the police station to be claimed by the owner.
6:01 p.m. – Officer Jason McDonald took a report of a rental scam from a property owner on Hooper Street, The woman told McDonald that she had listed a short-term rental on the website VRBO. She was later contacted by another woman who saw a fraudulent posting on Craigslist using the same pictures and information as her VRBO listing. The scammer allegedly convinced the woman to send $22,720 via an electronic bank transfer as a “deposit” on the rental. Upon realizing it was a scam, the victim attempted to stop the transfer but was unsuccessful. McDonald recommended the victim file a report with her local police department, as they would have jurisdiction since that is where the funds were sent from. He also provided her with information on common rental scams and how to avoid them. The case was forwarded to detectives for review.
May 8
2:07 p.m. – Officer Robert Picariello was attempting to serve civil paperwork at a residence on Green Street when he was approached by the homeowner asking for help. The woman asked Picariello to examine several small scratches on her vehicle’s windshield, which she believed were caused by someone shooting at the vehicle with an airsoft gun. Picariello observed four-to-five minor scratches in the glass, but found no projectiles or other evidence to confirm an airsoft gun was used. No neighbors reported seeing or hearing anything suspicious. Picariello advised the woman that she could seek repairs through her insurance company, but without any leads or evidence of a crime, there was no further action for police to take at this time.
