The following police logs are from the Amherst Police Department from Friday, April 5, 2019 to Sunday, April 7, 2019.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Disabled Motor Vehicle
8:40 a.m.: The operator of a white 2015 Honda CR-V was in the intersection by 800 Main St.; his vehicle was out of fuel. He was filling the gas tank from a can.
8:51 a.m.: A reporting party reported a potential disabled motor vehicle in the bus stop in front of North Village Apartments, 1,006 N. Pleasant St. The owner had pushed his blue 1998 Toyota 4Runner as far forward as he could, had called AAA and was waiting for assistance. The vehicle was not a road hazard and was a minor inconvenience for PVTA buses. An officer checked back after an hour and the vehicle was gone.
Assist Citizen
11:44 a.m.: A reporting party came into the Amherst Police Station with a housing complaint. The person advised he has been renting a room at 660 West St. for several months now and was being told to leave without a cause. He was looking to discuss his options. After an officer spoke with the party, he went to the Amherst Town Hall to speak with a code enforcement officer. The police officer and the code enforcement officer were both familiar with the homeowner and will be following up with that person. The reporting party also reported issues with sanitation and care for domestic animals in the home. An inspection is likely to occur in the next week.
Motor Vehicle Crash
2:31 p.m.: An employee of the PVTA called to report a traffic light taken out by 10 Meadow St. The Department of Public Works was notified that the traffic light was taken down. An electrician removed the broken light and took it with him. A single truck cut a corner tight as a PVTA bus did not allow room for a proper turn. The light pole was removed from the post. The leaning light pole was checked and the electrician did not believe it would fall further so it was left in place. The fixture was to be repaired on Monday.
2:36 p.m.: An officer observed a minor accident involving a gray 2004 Volkswagen Golf and a red 2013 Prius in the vicinity of 770 E. Pleasant St.
Assist Amherst Police Department
3:48 p.m.: An oven fire was reported at 36 Linden Ridge Road. The fire was contained and the Amherst Fire Department was en route.
5:57 p.m.: A reporting party not on scene called stating her son said there was a fire in his building at 145 Eames Place. An officer spoke to the son who said he was in his room on the left side of the house and smelled smoke. He noticed it was on the right side of the house coming from his mother’s office. He communicated via Instagram to inform of the possible fire. He stated his cell phone is broken and he was unsure of his mother’s new number. Both the reporting party and her son denied the use of any smoking devices or heat sources in the room. The officer explained that no one was in trouble but that the fire department wanted to know how the fire started. The woman refused to go to the police department and was defensive when questioned. It should be noted that the woman’s speech was slurred while the police were on scene. There was no odor of alcohol present.
Suspicious
4:09 p.m.: A caller stated someone knocked on their door in Puffton Village, 1040 N. Pleasant St., Apt. 372. The person said they did not answer the door. At some point, the person knocking came into the apartment, used the bathroom and then left. It was unknown if anything was taken. The person had short brown hair, a green leather coat and was carrying a blue plastic bag. The reporting party later contacted dispatch to say the person turned out to be a roommate’s friend.
Traffic
4:41 p.m.: A reporting party stated a car was parked in front of the “no parking at any time” sign near 23 Valley Lane.
10:34 p.m.: A gray 2008 Honda Civic was parked on Nutting Avenue, blocking the sidewalk of Fearing Street, near 53 Fearing St. The vehicle also blocked other vehicles’ view entering Fearing Street from Nutting Avenue. A citation was issued to the operator of the Civic.
911 Hang Up
5:24 p.m.: Two 911 hang-ups came from CVS, 165 University Dr. There was no answer at the location. A pharmacist had dialed 911 by accident and was okay. The new employee was attempting to dial an outside line.
Noise Complaint
9:03 p.m.: A report of extremely loud music at 277 Riverglade Dr., Apt, 8, was called in. The loud music had reportedly been playing since 5 p.m. There was no party registration at this address. The person involved wanted to practice DJing and thought everyone in the building was gone. He was extremely cooperative and was issued a warning.
11:22 p.m.: A reporting party stated loud music and talking were coming from 26 Valley Lane. Upon police arrival, there was no noise and the neighborhood was quiet.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Disturbance
12:39 a.m.: A reporting party stated that another male had been yelling at them and waving an object as they were walking back to their apartment at 81 Belchertown Road. The reporting party stated a male party was still outside yelling and believed to be waving a stick. The reporting party stated that the male’s activity was peculiar, but not threatening. The person was advised to stop yelling and go back to his apartment for the night.
1:10 a.m: A reporting party stated that a group of individuals threatened him near The Spoke at 35 E. Pleasant St. The person was gone upon police arrival.
4:24 p.m.: A ServiceNet manager reported that they were shoved into a stove by one of their clients at 32 Mountain View Circle. The alleged offender was frustrated about not being able to understand time on a clock. The reporting party denied any injuries and did not request an ambulance, and did not want to press charges, rather just to have the incident on record.
Noise Complaint
12:41 a.m.: A very loud party with loud music was reported in the location of 72 Triangle St. Upon arriving, police knocked on the front door in an attempt to find a resident, but guests locked the door, knocked back at the officer from the inside of the home and gave officers the middle finger. Once police found a cooperative resident, they ended the party despite attempts by uncooperative guests to hide in bedrooms and continue partying. While on scene, an officer observed a person leave with an open bottle of vodka. The person, a 20-year-old from Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Calif., was placed under arrest for being a minor in possession of liquor.
2:50 p.m.: A reporting party advised police of a loud party at 204 College St., where residents were advised of the complaint by officers and agreed to turn their stereo down.
11:31 p.m.: A verbal warning was issued to three people at 41 E. Hadley Road, where a loud party was taking place. The party cleared out, music was turned down and residents were cooperative.
Prop/Evid Admin
1:19 a.m.: A Winchester rifle with four rounds were seized for safe keeping, and secured in the APD property and evidence room at 111 Main St.
Motor Vehicle Stop
4:57 a.m.: A black 2012 Nissan Sentra was stopped for a lights violation at 406 Pine St., where the operator was found to have a Massachusetts ID only and an expired Connecticut permit. Before stopping the vehicle, police observed the car with no lights on while fluctuating its speed within 10 mph several times down Pine Street. When stopped, the officer noticed the operator had “glassy blood shot eyes and dilated pupils,” where field sobriety tests were then performed and impairment was observed. Marijuana was also found in the vehicle and a drug recognition expert was contacted. The operator, a 20-year-old from Holyoke, was placed under arrest for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle to endanger and a motor vehicle lights violation. The passenger of the vehicle, a 23-year-old from Holyoke, was also identified and placed under arrest for a warrant initiated by another agency.
12:52 p.m.: A random plate query showed a white 2010 Ford Explorer revoked for insurance. The motor vehicle was stopped, and the operator, a 22-year-old from Merrimac, Mass. was issued a summons for an uninsured motor vehicle.
5:56 p.m.: A gray 2004 Toyota Corolla was stopped for failure to stop/yield at 70 S. East St. Officers discovered the vehicle’s registration had been expired since January 2019. The officer assisted the operator with renewing his registration online, where it was subsequently renewed and a verbal warning was issued.
7:12 p.m.: A blue 2002 Saturn SL2 was stopped at 557 Belchertown Road as they exceeded the speed limit while passing someone on the road. A warning was issued.
7:43 p.m.: A green 2017 Honda Pilot ran a red arrow near 161 N. Pleasant St. and was stopped by police. A warning was issued.
Disabled Motor Vehicle
10:53 a.m.: A brown 2008 Honda Element died in the middle of the travel lane near 29 Cottage St. and was pushed into a nearby parking lot. The operator called AAA.
11:52 a.m.: A gray 2001 Toyota Camry Solara was reported to be broken down in the bus stop at the inbound Pray Street bus stop at 25 E. Pleasant St. Officers assisted in moving the vehicle to Carriage Shops out of the bus stop, where the operator advised police that she would get help with changing her tire as she had no money for a tow.
Recovered Property
10:54 a.m.: A reporting party came into APD at 111 Main St. with a license and Visa debit card belonging to another person.
12:13 p.m.: A person came into APD at 111 Main St. to turn in a phone he had found near 33 Kellogg Ave.
Assist Citizen
11:08 a.m.: A reporting party advised police of two bounced checks for electrical work that were written by the owner of Porta at 51 E. Pleasant St. The person was told not to cash the checks until after a certain date, which the reporting party did. When trying to cash the checks, the teller at his bank had advised the reporting party that insufficient funds were in the account. Officers asked the reporting party for a document from the bank with the status of available funds. Officers advised the reporting party to re-request a form of valid payment (either a secured check or money in hand,) and to give a reasonable time period of seven to 10 days for the owner to pay the workers again. After that, officers advised the reporting party to either seek a lien on the business or civil prosecution for larceny of services. The two checks were for $3,441 and $2,200 written on a local bank.
Traffic
12:41 p.m.: A gray 2008 Honda Civic was parked illegally near 53 Fearing St. A request for a tow truck was cancelled as the operator came out and moved the vehicle.
3:15 p.m.: A reporting party advised police of a green minivan parked behind her vehicle blocking her exit at Jones Library at 43 Amity Street. Officers found a phone number for the registered operator of the offending vehicle and called it. The registered operator of the vehicle said there were no open handicapped spots, so she parked where she did. The vehicle was moved.
Community Policing
2:17 p.m.: Residents and guests of 736 Main St. were observed to be on the roof. Officers advised them to get off the roof, where all parties agreed and went back inside.
3:31 p.m.: Students were observed on the roof of 32 S. Whitney St., where they agreed to get down at the request of police.
5:09 p.m.: Several people were gathered in the front yard and porch of 702 Main St. An officer observed a large number of open container violations as guests were openly drinking and playing games on the sidewalk as pedestrians were walking down the roadway. There were also traffic issues being caused by Ubers. An officer spoke with two cooperative residents who agreed to keep all of their residents off of the sidewalk to ensure there were no open container violations. They were advised of nuisance and noise bylaws and agreed to keep everything under control.
Assist Amherst Fire Department
4:26 p.m.: A resident of 22 Lessey St. called to report smoke in the third-floor hallway of their apartment building. AFD was already en route for a fire alarm that was being upgraded to a box alarm. As officers assisted in directing traffic, they were informed by AFD that the fire was out and there was no need for any evacuation.
Liquor Law Violation
4:59 p.m.: Two people were standing on the public sidewalk outside of 702 Main St. openly drinking alcohol. They were advised of the town bylaws and issued a warning. The two people agreed to stay off the public sidewalks when drinking.
5:01 p.m.: Police observed three parties walking down Hobart Lane with open containers. All parties were cooperative and of age. The alcohol was destroyed and a verbal warning was given.
5:09 p.m.: A liquor law violation was observed at 60 Hobart Lane. A warning was issued.
5:15 p.m.: A person was observed tucking a bottle of vodka under their shirt. When found to be under 21 years old, the person was cooperative and agreed to destroy the alcohol. A warning was issued.
5:44 p.m.: A person was observed with an open Natural Light beer at 39 Hobart Lane. The person was found to be under 21 years of age, and was cooperative in destroying alcohol.
5:46 p.m.: A person was observed walking down the sidewalk near 667 Main St. with an open can of Bud Light. The person was issued a warning for the violation and the town bylaws were explained.
Suspicious
5:22 p.m.: A reporting party advised police that the partygoers at 702 Main St. were urinating in her yard. Residents at the home were cooperative and cleared out the party. A warning was issued.
8:03 p.m.: A reporting party stated a white male in his 40s was sitting by his door at 81 Belchertown Road, taking trash out of the trash can. The reporting party stated that the person looked angry and he was fearful to walk by. The person was gone on police arrival.
9:44 p.m.: A reporting party stated that her front door at 28 The Hollow was wide open, even though she knew she had locked it. On officer arrival, it was determined that the reporting party did not lock her door, and that wind must have blown it open. Everything was in order inside the home after a walkthrough.
11:07 p.m.: A group of college students were observed to be behind Wildwood School at 71 Strong St., hanging out at the playground. They advised police they would find a better spot to gather.
Motor Vehicle Complaint
6:17 p.m.: A reporting party stated that two vehicles had raced up and down Station Road about three times. As officers arrived, they observed one vehicle that matched a description. Officers asked the reporting party to call back if the vehicles returned.
Assist Business / Agency
6:50 p.m.: A reporting party stated that they had an “unruly female” upset that Ernie’s Towing would not release her vehicle because she didn’t have a valid license at Ernie’s Towing at 40 Montague Road. Upon police arrival, the female was advised that she needed a licensed operator with her to retrieve the vehicle or she had to renew her license. The person’s cell phone battery was dead and a courtesy ride back home was provided to her.
11:31 p.m.: House lights at Porta, located at 51 E. Pleasant St., were found to be on, though very few patrons were making their way to the exit of the establishment. Police observed that they appeared to be in compliance.
Traffic
7:33 p.m.: Police received a call from AFD Chief Tim Nelson advising of a gray 2014 Honda Civic parked in front of the hydrant in front of Monkey Bar at 63 N. Pleasant St. Nelson advised that this was the second time the car had parked there and that he had already spoken to them once. A camera was turned facing the vehicle in question. While on the line, the operator came out of Monkey Bar with a food order, got into the car, and began to drive northbound. Nelson attempted to speak with the operator who did not stop and flipped him off. After reviewing video, a parking citation was issued for hydrant violation to be sent certified mail, via records.
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Motor Vehicle Stop
12:08 a.m.: The operator of a gray 2004 Honda Civic was stopped in the vicinity of 35 E. Pleasant St. for a lights violation. The operator received a verbal warning.
9:48 p.m.: A gray 2011 Nissan Sentra was stopped by 100 Meadow St. for failing to yield to oncoming traffic. A verbal warning was issued.
Suspicious Motor Vehicle
12:37 a.m.: A reporting party stated that a white Nissan had been idling for about 30 minutes by 57 Olympia Dr. The reporting party said it happens every night and seems sketchy. All parking lots in the area were searched, but the vehicle was gone.
Noise Complaint
12:40 a.m.: Loud music was reported from the caller’s roommates at 660 West St.
12:44 a.m.: A reporting party reported loud music from Theta Chi, 496 N. Pleasant St. At the time of the call, the caller was unsure of which fraternity was causing the noise and hung up agitated while trying to narrow down which one. Theta Chi was hosting a “Greek Week” fundraiser to benefit Baystate Children’s Hospital, with extremely loud music. The band was asked to stop playing and the party was cleared out. A warning was issued.
12:46 a.m.: A reporting party called about loud music possibly coming from 285 Lincoln Ave. The person was unsure if it was that address or further down on Fearing Street. The residence at 327 Lincoln Ave. had a registered party. The resident was cooperative in turning off the music and clearing the party out. A warning was issued to the small gathering.
12:53 a.m.: Loud stomping and banging on the walls was reported coming from the apartment above 345 N. Pleasant St., Apt. 6. The noise was gone upon police arrival.
2:26 a.m.: The reporting party in the noise complaint at 12:53 a.m. called back saying she did not like the way the officer talked to her on scene. She also did not like the fact that the officer could not confirm or talk about a possible medical event in the building. She wanted to know what was going on in the building in the University Lodge.
10:26 p.m.: Loud music and yelling could be heard throughout the hallway of a Mill Valley building, 760 Riverglade Dr., coming from Apt. B. A resident advised of the complaint and told officers she would turn the music off. The involved party stated she was getting married and everyone was celebrating.
Community Policing
1:02 a.m.: An officer monitored foot traffic and Uber and Lyft drivers obstructing traffic in front of the bars by 25 N. Pleasant St. A $50 parking citation was issued to a Massachusetts registered vehicle and another vehicle for obstructing the travel/bike lane.
Assist Citizen
1:44 a.m.: A person at 86 Cowls Road reported missing a boom box and wanted to speak with an officer. The JBL boombox, worth approximately $500, was taken off the front porch of the house sometime between 8 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 a.m. Sunday. There are no suspects.
10:48 a.m.: A reporting party at Theta Chi, 496 N. Pleasant St., had his necklace taken from his neck after getting into a fight on Saturday night. He was looking for assistance identifying the involved party. He was given an officer’s information and will contact the officer if assistance is needed.
Follow Up
2:10 a.m.: This is a follow-up to the motor vehicle stop that occurred on Saturday at 4:57 a.m. Police were tracking for cocaine, or a derivative of the substance, along the route the vehicle travelled and at the location of the stop after witnessing communication between the driver and the passenger on video with their hands out of view. This was cleared for a higher priority call.
Suspicious
2:11 a.m.: A reporting party stated that there were three people trying to take a motorcycle from 87 E. Pleasant St. The only description given was that they were wearing black clothing. Three juveniles were observed on Pray Street walking to Triangle Street to the Amherst Regional High School entrance where police identified them. K9 Marvin responded and tracked from the scooter down Triangle Street to Pray Street. After tracking a short distance down Pray Street, Marvin looped around to the other side of the roadway and continued to track down Triangle Street, eventually leading to where the suspects were detained. The scooter was described as white and black with no registration, from the brand IceBear. This matched the description of a scooter stolen on March 17, 2019. A 19-year-old, 17-year-old and a 16-year-old are all being summoned for disturbing the peace. The three juveniles are all males from Amherst.
Recovered Motor Vehicle
3:48 a.m.: The scooter in the suspicious entry at 2:11 a.m. was recovered at 87 E. Pleasant St.
Motor Vehicle Crash
12:25 p.m.: A reporting party advised that his vehicle was struck sometime overnight while parked by in the street in front of 13 Nutting Ave. He moved the gray 2011 Toyota Cormat to the rear of the residence. The driver’s side mirror was destroyed on the vehicle. No other damage was observed. The damage was under $1,000. No other involved vehicles were seen leaving the area.
4:19 p.m.: A reporting party came into the APD station to report a motor vehicle crash that occurred on Saturday at approximately 11:30 p.m. The reporting party was driving a black 2018 Honda Civic and stopped at a stop sign on Sunset Avenue. Before turning he looked left and right and did not see any other vehicles coming. He pulled out across the intersection and an unknown vehicle came from his right, speeding up the hill. The reporting party said he slammed on his breaks to avoid hitting the speeding vehicle, but the vehicle driving down Fearing Street from his left struck his car in the middle of the intersection. The reporting party stated they swapped information, but did not get the license plate number of the other vehicle. The reporting party’s Honda suffered denting and scratches on the driver side rear door and wheel well.
Disturbance
1:07 p.m.: A reporting party stated he was behind a black 2011 Mitsubishi Galant by 19 Northampton Road when he witnessed the male operator of that vehicle strike the female passenger several times. An officer had the vehicle stopped by Maplewood Farms, 138 Belchertown Road. The officer spoke with the involved parties and it was determined the appeared disturbance was the result of the passenger dropping a lit cigarette between her legs. Everything checked out okay. The vehicle had an expired registration.
Motor Vehicle Complaint
2:12 p.m.: A 911 caller reported a gray 2011 Cadillac CTS operating all over the road, 20 mph higher than the speed limit, swerving and nearly striking some trees along the side of the street by 22 Belchertown Road. During the call, the Cadillac sped up and almost struck a vehicle in front of it and then pulled into the entrance of Colonial Village. Police located the vehicle behind 222 Belchertown Road. The registered operator was standing outside the vehicle. The person was advised of the complaint; no signs of impairment were observed.
11:49 p.m.: A reporting party reported a black sedan idling between Olympia Place and Olympia Oaks at 57 Olympia Dr. The vehicle is reportedly there for several hours on many nights. An officer identified the vehicle, which was registered to a resident of the property. The individuals in the vehicle were smoking cigarettes because they are not allowed to do so on the Olympia Oaks property.
Liquor Law Violation
5:43 p.m.: A 57-year-old male from Amherst was observed drinking from an open “Natty Daddy” beer in front of Antonio’s Pizza, 31 N. Pleasant St. The beer was seized and the involved party was informed he’d be receiving a summons for having an open container of alcohol.
Michael Connors can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @mikepconnors. Hayley Johnson can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @hayleyk_johnson.
