Victim Dies 7 Months After Being Shot; Suspected Shooter Held Without Bail Victim Dies 7 Months After Being Shot; Suspected Shooter Held Without Bail
Victim Dies 7 Months After Being Shot; Suspected Shooter Held Without Bail The victim of a summertime shooting has just died, according to the Worcester County District Attorney, and a suspect in the man’s death has been arraigned in court. Jose A. Merced, 32, of Worcester, was arrested Saturday, Jan. 30, about 13 hours after the shooting victim had died, DA Joseph D. Early, Jr., said in a statement. The initial violence took place on July 9 around 5 p.m. on Mount Pleasant Street. This is where Worcester Police found a man, Luis Tiru-Romero, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his chest and head, according to MassLive. The victim had remained hospitalized…
Nearly A Dozen Police Have Left City Department Amid National Wave Of Quitting Cops Nearly A Dozen Police Have Left City Department Amid National Wave Of Quitting Cops
Nearly A Dozen Police Have Left City Department Amid National Wave Of Quitting Cops About 10 police officers have departed from a Western Massachusetts city following "defund the police" budget cuts over the summer. And another 11 officers have put in an application for employment in other departments. The exodus marks a problem with morale at the Northampton Police Department in the wake of calls to “defund the police,” subsequent budget cuts, and protests against law enforcement, Chief Jody Kasper told MassLive. Cuts were announced in June when city officials were hammering out the annual budget. The police department’s proposed $6.7 million budget was reduced by 10 p…
COVID-19: Massachusetts Curfew To End Soon COVID-19: Massachusetts Curfew To End Soon
Covid-19: Massachusetts Curfew To End Soon Massachusetts is lifting its curfew on businesses as well as its stay-home advisory due to a drop in COVID-19 cases. On Thursday, Jan. 21, Gov. Charlie Baker said that the 9:30 p.m. curfew for table service at Massachusetts restaurants and other businesses will be lifted starting Monday, Jan. 25, according to MassLive. Baker, who delivered the news during a daily press conference, said that with vaccines being doled out to the community and more on the way, plus a drop in COVID-19 cases encouraged the decision to rollback the curfew. The curfew was first imposed about two months ago. Al…
HS Coach Accused Of Dating Student Requires Investigation, School Committee Says HS Coach Accused Of Dating Student Requires Investigation, School Committee Says
HS Coach Accused Of Dating Student Requires Investigation, School Committee Says Three School Committee members are calling for an investigation into the actions of a city softball coach who allegedly had a romantic relationship with a student as well as how the school district responded to the news. Alberto Hernandez Jr., 42, of Chicopee, was the Central High School softball coach in Springfield who was forced to resign after a student said that the two began a relationship while she was a sophomore, according to MassLive. Hernandez has not worked in the Springfield Public School system for about a month. The former softball coach was first hired in 2009. He was als…
City Man Accused Of Raping 2 Victims Was Out On Bail For Rape Charge At Time Of Arrest City Man Accused Of Raping 2 Victims Was Out On Bail For Rape Charge At Time Of Arrest
City Man Accused Of Raping 2 Victims Was Out On Bail For Rape Charge At Time Of Arrest A Springfield man who has been accused of rape and kidnapping on multiple occasions was recently arrested for allegedly raping two children. Christian Barbee, 35, of St. James Avenue in Springfield, was arrested at around 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the intersection of Buckingham Place and Buckingham Street in Springfield, police said. An investigation by the Springfield Police allegedly revealed that Barbee had sexually assaulted two underage victims in the fall of 2020, police said. Barbee was out on bail for the rape of a child with force and other similar charges filed in 2019…
Car Crash Into Gun Shop Was No Accident, Co-Owner Says Car Crash Into Gun Shop Was No Accident, Co-Owner Says
Car Crash Into Gun Shop Was No Accident, Co-Owner Says The co-owner of a local gun shop said that he believes the vehicle that crashed into his store early Wednesday morning, did so on purpose. On Wednesday, Dec. 30, a vehicle plowed into Pioneer Valley Arms in East Longmeadow as a means to gain entry and rob the place, said co-owner Mike Meunier, who described the incident to MassLive as an “intentional strike.” The other owner Kendall Knapik who founded the shop. Meunier said that whoever was in the store following the crash only stayed a short while before fleeing as the business’s burglar alarm sounded. No items were reported stolen from th…
Hovercraft Used To Rescue Man Stranded On Ice Island In Hilltowns Hovercraft Used To Rescue Man Stranded On Ice Island In Hilltowns
Hovercraft Used To Rescue Man Stranded On Ice Island In Hilltowns Firefighters used a hovercraft to rescue an elderly man who had become trapped on an ice island in the middle of a lake Monday, Dec. 28. The man, who was not identified, was out hunting in the Knightville Dam area in Huntington when he became lost and found himself on a patch of ice 300 feet from shore, according to MassLive. Using a cell phone, the man was able to call 911 and dispatchers were able to ping his location in the Knigtville Basin. Huntington, a community in the Hilltowns, was covered in ice and snow making it difficult for responders to reach the stranded man by foot. Hunt…
Missing Local Man Found Inside Burning Vehicle In Another State Missing Local Man Found Inside Burning Vehicle In Another State
Missing Local Man Found Inside Burning Vehicle In Another State A Chicopee man that had been missing since Christmas Eve was found dead in Connecticut. On Monday, Dec. 28, Hartford Police said the body discovered in a recent car fire was that of missing man Fransisco “Paco” Roman, 28, Chicopee. The last time Roman was seen alive was Friday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, in Chicopee Center. His body was discovered in Hartford Saturday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day. Chicopee Police put out an alert seeking the public’s help in finding Roman noting that he had a broken right leg and was walking on crutches. He drove an Acura ZDX. Roman was discovered after Hartford …
Teenager Accused Of Attempting Murder In Broad Daylight Teenager Accused Of Attempting Murder In Broad Daylight
Teenager Accused Of Attempting Murder In Broad Daylight A Chicopee teenager has been arrested after allegedly attempting to commit murder. On Saturday, Dec. 12, around 3:20 p.m., police responded to the sound of shots being fired on Sargeant Street in Holyoke. Police were already in the area investigating a report of gunfire at the intersection of Sargeant and Walnut streets when they heard the shots, according to MassLive. Officers followed the gunshots and the suspected shooter to 164 Sergeant St., a dense area full of apartment housing.  According to Holyoke Police records, following an investigation, officers made two arrests. John N…
COVID-19: Massachusetts Statewide Curfew Going Into Effect COVID-19: Massachusetts Statewide Curfew Going Into Effect
Covid-19: Massachusetts Statewide Curfew Going Into Effect Massachusetts will launch a statewide curfew starting Friday, Nov. 6 in an effort to tamp down on the spread of COVID-19. The news comes amid a spike in COVID-19 cases across Massachusetts but concentrated in the eastern part of the state. Reports of 1,000 new COVID-19 cases each day have become common in the last week. Gov. Charlie Baker announced the plan on Monday, Nov. 2. The new stay-at-home advisory will take effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Restaurants should stop table service at 9:30 p.m., under the governor’s orders, according to MassLive. The curfew advisory will go into effect at …
Man Trying To Recover Stolen Car Is Fatally Shot Man Trying To Recover Stolen Car Is Fatally Shot
Man Trying To Recover Stolen Car Is Fatally Shot A teenage girl and a 22-year-old East Longmeadow man have been charged in connection with a fatal shooting on Monday, Oct. 19. Isaiah Marquez, 22, East Longmeadow, was arrested by Springfield Police and has been charged with murder, carjacking, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm with in 500 feet of a building, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of ammunition without a firearms ID card, according to MassLive. The juvenile suspect has also been arrested and charged with murder, but due to her status as a minor…
Three-Alarm Fire By Bondi's Island Three-Alarm Fire By Bondi's Island
Three-Alarm Fire By Bondi's Island A three-alarm fire is burning at a landfill near Bondi’s Island. Thick, brown-gray smoke is shooting into the air from brush piles outside of Bondi's. On social media, people are reporting being able to smell fumes from their nearby homes. Smoke is covering parts of downtown Springfield. West Springfield and Agawam fire departments have responded to the brush fire, according to Agawam Police.  The fire was first reported around *1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15. It is located at the landfill and incinerator, according to MassLive. Bondi's Island is a waste-water treatment facility on the We…