The long weekend was not short on crime for the Amherst Police Department, with the officers having to deal with multiple reports of vandalism among other crimes.
Beginning Friday morning at 11:46 a.m., police received reports of theft in Hawkins Meadow Apartments. According to the police report, someone allegedly broke into the coin-operated laundry machines in the facility stealing coins from the machines. The amount of money was not specified, and the issue is still under investigation.
Early Saturday morning at 12:46 a.m., police were called to the scene of Amherst’s Old Town Tavern with reports of a large fight. The alleged fight was broken up before the police arrived on the scene and one individual who was involved in the altercation, was found bleeding from the face.
A male reportedly involved in the fight was aggressive towards officers, using vulgar language and spitting blood in their vicinity. Eventually police arrested the male, identified as 26-year-old Amherst resident Brian Alves, after he continued to refuse to calm down.
Later that same evening, Springfield resident Blake Spencer was arrested after police followed up on an incident occurring late Friday night. According to police, Spencer left a Village Parks apartment and was seen stumbling to his car reportedly screaming obscenities. After kicking out the window of his vehicle, entering it, and driving off he was eventually pulled over by police and arrested for operating under the influence.
At 2:20 a.m. Saturday morning police were forced to investigate a series of vandalisms occurring in Brandywine Apartments. Four subjects were witnessed smashing the windows of several cars before retreating into buildings. Police are investigating the disturbance and are currently seeking the four suspected vandals.
Just over an hour later, a motor vehicle accident was reported to police who arrived at 388 Pine Street to find a vehicle that had traveled off the road and crashed into a house. There were no major injuries reported and 22-year-old operator and Amherst resident Sihem Mellah was arrested under suspicion of operating under the influence.
Later in the evening on Saturday, a noise complaint at a Lincoln Avenue apartment building led to the arrest of 20-year-old West Roxbury resident Greg Lucas. Lucas was found to have a warrant for prior offenses and was taken into custody by police.
Early Sunday morning, the APD assisted the UMass police department with a reported vandalism occurring in the John Adams Tower parking lot in Southwest. Two male parties were seen smashing car windows in the parking lot before fleeing in a black Jeep Cherokee. A car that matched the description was eventually discovered and pulled over by police, who then arrested the operator and his occupant under charges of malicious destruction.
Early Monday morning, police reported pulling over the vehicle of operator Patrick Brown, a 25-year-old Amherst resident. The operator appeared impaired according to police and was eventually arrested.
Later the same morning at 3:47 a.m. a car was reported having gone off the road at 199 Belchertown Road. Twenty-year-old Amherst resident Dominic Serra was arrested under charges of operating under the influence and operation of a motor vehicle to endanger. No serious injuries were reported.
Mitchell Scuzzarella can be reached [email protected]
