Directory of Burlington Vermont
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Directory of Burlington Vermont
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Home :
Alternate Lifestyles :
criminal behavior and lifestyles
Criminal Behavior & Lifestyles
What does "Alternate LIfestyles" mean?
Not everyone in Burlington is a church going heterosexual that grows up, gets a job earning an honest and legal income, gets married to someone of the opposite gender, and has children by way of their sexual activity with that person. An "Alternate lifestyle" can be anything that deviates from what most of us would consider to the normal (and traditional) lifestyle that is recommended by the Lord. In fact, Burlington seems to attract many people that choose to live other life styles. I realized that there were many things I had not been sure how to categorize that would easily fit in this category.
Disclaimer: I am NOT condoning or condemning these lifestyles, by listing them on my web page. In fact, as a bible-believing Christian, the web master does not agree with any of the life styles mentioned below. But, the directory was originally designed to be a secular listing of local web sites and stories, without moral consideration or prejudice. The fact that these sites are listed is only to show the fact that the following does exist in Burlington, not to condone or condemn it. I do, however, feel a need to make it known that I DO NOT sanction any of these activities.
There are 260 Alternate Lifestyles links for you to choose from!
2686 Crimes were reported in Burlington during 2001
including
A South Burlington man has been charged with the attempted
stabbing murder of his girlfriend.
Court records indicate he had already been charged with assaulting her at least twice this year.
Thomas Sharrow, 32, South Burlington, broke into the woman's Burlington apartment early Saturday morning, grabbed a steak knife from the kitchen, and stabbed her repeatedly in the head, neck, and arms as she screamed for help, according to police.
Neighbors called police who say they arrived to find the bloody steak knife on a porch and Sharrow trying to flee the building clutching a second knife, and his girlfriend's purse.
According to court records, in April Sharrow was sentenced to 23 days in prison and placed on probation after he was convicted of domestic assault for strangling and kicking the woman.
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Sarah Genest Murdered
Thursday afternoon four days after she was delivered to the ER at Fletcher Allen Health Care. Channel 3 News has learned that she arrived there with severe head injuries.
We have also learned that she was living in an apartment at 82 Front Street with her two young children and their father, 34-year-old Robert Jones, her longtime boyfriend. ...
Daniel Valentine pleaded guilty. ...
Robert Jones was in court Tuesday morning to face charges of second degree murder. Prosecutors say Jones severely beat 32-year-old Sarah Genest on May 5th inside their Front Street apartment. Genest died the next day after Jones and another woman brought her to Fletcher Allen Health Care for treatment of her injuries. ... Jones has a history of abuse, and has been convicted of domestic assault on 3 occasions, 2 of those were against Sarah Genest.
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"Leapfroggers" have returned to...Church Street
Marketplace.
Monday, the gleeful school girl leaping over an obliging boy sculpted in copper and steel took their place firmly anchored on a shinny new bronze base.
In early July, late at night, the Marketplace fixture was pushed over, snapping at the boy's ankles.
That night, a police officer collected the work and put it in the trunk of a cruiser for safe keeping, said Ron Redmond, executive director of the Church Street Marketplace.
A total of ,800 was raised to repair the sculpture, including a donation from a 3-year-old. Ryder Thornton of Burlington donated the money he raised playing his harmonica on Church Street. Queen City Steel Co. donated materials, Redmond said.
Ryder was delighted to see the "Leapfroggers" back in place.
"Look at the statue," he said, scrambling up the base. "It's all fixed."
16-year-old Dan Lavilette is currently behind bars.
at the Chittenden County Correctional Facility, facing a charge of "one count of first-degree aggravated domestic assault for recklessly causing a serious injury to his girlfriend," said Burlington Police Deputy Chief Mike Schirling.
Police arrived at the North Avenue apartment and found 17-year-old Holly Ploof critically injured with a single gunshot wound to the head. Lavilette was found downstairs. He was taken into custody, but not charged until he reportedly admitted he shot his girlfriend, claiming it was an accident.
Police were at the scene past midnight on Saturday morning, gathering evidence to help determine exactly what happened.
Click here to read more.
281 Crimes were reported in Winooski during 2001
including
773 Crimes were reported in South Burlington during 2001
including:
78-year-old woman was assaulted and robbed
at about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday in front of the Bon-Ton store in the mall, according to a report filed by Officer Darren Beers. Police said four white men, all about 20 years old, were involved in the assault.
An elderly woman was the victim of a purse snatching Thursday in Williston, the second such crime in the area in nine days. Police were investigating whether the two crimes are linked, Williston police Officer Scott Graham said. The most recent incident happened at about 3:05 p.m. in the parking lot of the Hannaford Food & Drug Superstore in Williston. An 85-year-old woman was getting into her car when a man grabbed her purse, police said. Two men in their mid-20s were seen hanging around the store and are suspects in the robbery. The one who took the purse was described by police as wearing a maroon shirt, 5 feet 7 inches tall with blond hair weighing 150 pounds.
Click here to read more.
A 25-year-old South Burlington man involved in a scuffle
with another man was cut in the throat with a steak knife early Saturday on the Church Street Marketplace.
Burlington police arrested Alfonso Garcia, 23, of Winooski,nearby shortly after the incident. He is charged with attempted second-degree murder and is being held at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in lieu of ,000 bail.
Police Lt. Tim Charland said police separated the two men, Garcia and William "Tony" Messer of South Burlington, after a fight downtown late Friday night. The men left in opposite directions.
About 12:20 a.m. Saturday, Messer flagged a police officer near the corner of Church and Main streets. He described the attacker to the police officer and told him his throat had been cut at the corner of College and Church streets.
Messer was taken to Fletcher Allen Health Care for treatment of an 8-inch gash, which police described as a "severe laceration to the throat."
A 5-week-old poodle puppy was stolen from a van in a parking lot
Wednesday afternoon, according to the South Burlington Police Department.
The puppy was taken at about 4 p.m. from a litter in a van parked near the Healthy Living Natural Foods Market off Market Street, police said. The puppy is described as white with yellowish ears.
Witnesses reported seeing a 16- or 17-year- old girl take the puppy and run toward Hinesburg Road on Market Street, police said in a news release. The teen is described as white, having long brown hair dyed blond on top, wearing black pants and a white shirt.
Anyone with information is asked to call the South Burlington Police Department at 846-4111.
A Burlington man is behind bars, after assaulting an acquaintance
with a hammer. Police say 56-year-old Thomas Kelleher got into an argument with a house guest Saturday night. When the guest wouldn't leave, Kelleher allegedly hit the man in the head with a hammer. When police arrived, the victim was outside with a laceration on his head -- and Kelleher would not come out of the house.
They went to Mr. Kellehers apartment, he wouldn't answer the door," Burlington Police Lieutenant Mike Schirling said. "Although they could hear some moving around inside, we obtained a search warrant to search the residence for him, he was apprehended without incident."
Kelleher is being held for lack of -thousand dollars bail. He will be arrained on charges of Aggrevated Assault on Monday.
A Burlington man pleaded innocent Wednesday to allegedly paying a
friend to blow up another man's van.
Reno Kruger is accused of paying John Monfreda to throw a homemade explosive at a third man's van. Kruger was upset with the van owner because the man was allegedly having an affair with Kruger's wife, Burlington Detective Steven Dumas said in court papers. Monfreda told police that Kruger wanted to blow up the van because it was where the affair took place.
Monfreda said Kruger initially offered him ,000 to shoot and kill the third man, according to the court papers. Monfreda said he refused, at which point Kruger allegedly came up with the plan to blow up the van.
Kruger pleaded innocent in Vermont District Court in Burlington to a charge of inciting another to commit a felony. Police are continuing the investigation and more charges might be added, said Lt. Walt Decker.
Kruger, 33, worked briefly as a correctional officer at the South Burlington jail in the spring of 2000, despite having recent criminal convictions.
A Burlington man was back in a Vermont courtroom Wednesday
facing new charges one month after he was captured in the Virgin Islands.
In December, arrest warrants were issued for Walter Biggs, 38, Burlington, after he fled Vermont while awaiting trial on several pending charges, including probation violations and burglary.
At the time, Biggs was on pre-trial release on ,000 bail provided by the Amherst Bail Bond company.
Under law, the ,000 bail would have been confiscated by the courts if Amherst failed to return Biggs for trial.
In response, Amherst dispatched its enforcement agents to find and capture Biggs. The agents found him in St. Thomas in February.
Amherst agents say they notified Virgin Island authorities seeking assistance in capturing Biggs, but the police did nothing. On May 8, Amherst says they notified U.S. Marshals who arrested Biggs the same day without incident and returned him to Vermont, nearly five months after he fled Vermont.
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A Burlington man was charged late Sunday with drunken driving
after he allegedly tried to ram another motorist off the road, Burlington police said.
Robert Brosseau, 30, was jailed after the incident at about 8 p.m. Police said callers reported a black Ford Explorer trying to run two motorcyclists off Interstate 89, then ramming into the car of a witness who tried to follow the Explorer into Burlington. No injuries were reported.
Police said they found the car in a Burlington parking lot and traced the registration to Brosseau and arrested him. They are seeking information from anyone who might have seen the incident.
-- end --
A Burlington woman faces charges accusing her of stealing
at least thousand dollars from an elderly man, according to Burlington Police.
Lori Billings, 40, Cedar Street, Burlington, embezzled the money from the retirement funds of an unidentified 78-year-old man, according to investigators.
Police say Billings befriended the elderly man in October, 2001, gained his trust, obtained power-of-attorney, and used it to steal the money until the victims relatives contacted police two months ago.
Billings has confessed that she took 30 to 40 thousand dollars, but police say at least -thousand dollars was taken, and the investigation is not complete.
Billings spent most of the stolen money on lavish personal expenses, including weekend outings at New York state hotels, according to investigators.
Billings is scheduled to be arraigned on the embezzlement charges at the Burlington District Court in December.
Brian Joyce -- Channel 3 News
A Burlington woman pleads not guilty
to aiding in first degree aggregated domestic assault.
25 year old Lisa Foy appeared in District Court on Wednesday.
Her boyfriend, 32 year old Shawn Riley, the father of the baby pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to First Degree Aggregated Domestic Assault.
The case involves a shaken baby syndrome.
The two are charged in an incident that happened on August 14th.
Police say the baby suffered major injuries including retinal hemorrhaging, severe bruising to the head and other parts of the body, possible GI damage, and at least 10 rib fractures.
Doctors say shaken baby syndrome is a violent act that cannot be caused unintentionally.
The baby could suffer permanent brain damage and more.
This is not Foy's first brush with the law.
She is on probation and is undergoing methadone treatments for substance abuse.
Foy is being held on ,000 bail she is not to have contact with the baby or any minor under sixteen.
Click here to read more.
A Burlington woman Thursday changed her plea to guilty
to a less serious charge for her part in setting-up a drug-related murder two years ago.
It's a crime that compelled Vermont's largest non-profit agency for troubled kids to change its housing policy.
Stephanie Dellavecchio, 18, pled guilty to attempted assault and robbery at the Burlington District Court as part of a plea agreement calling for no more than ten years in prison.
She was initially charged with felony-murder in October 2002 after Elrahaine Whitely, 27, New York, was killed by a single shot to the head as he sat in his car outside Dellavecchio's Pine Street apartment.
Dellavecchio lured Whiteley to her apartment with a phone call requesting a cocaine delivery, according to police.
But police say the call was the set-up for a plan devised by Dellavecchio and three male accomplices to rob Whitely. Police say the plan backfired when Dan Jones, 24, Burlington, murdered Whitely with a single gunshot to the head.
Click here to read more.
A jury has been selected to hear the case of a Shelburne man
charged with gunning down a man at a party.
Skylar Underhill-Ortiz, 21, is charged with first-degree murder. Police say he shot and killed Rhynell Lewis at a party on Lafountain Street in Burlington last year. The two had reportedly been arguing and got into a wrestling match.
Underhill-Ortiz claims it was self-defense.
Prosecutors disagree because they say Lewis was unarmed. Under Vermont law, the prosecution will have to convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that it was not a case of self-defense.
Monday, it took about 2 1/2 hours to select a jury. The trial will start Tuesday morning.
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A longtime property asset manager in the city,
who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said Friday's graffiti spree was the most prolific episode of vandalism he's seen in two decades.
On rounds to check the parking lot of the Kmart building for snow and ice that night, he said his headlights shone on a new symbol spray-painted high on the front wall.
Friday's episode occurred less than 10 hours after the building had been retouched to cover previously painted graffiti -- for the second time in two weeks, he said. He estimates the damage to the building over that time to be upward of ,000.
Four teens have been arrested on suspicion of unlawful mischief in connection with the incident.
The taggers scrawled purple and black marks like a long tattoo across the roof and back side of Kmart on Shelburne Road, on the corner of the Hannaford grocery store, on a white trailer parked in front of Lowe's, and on every utility cabinet along the sidewalk from there to the Palace 9 movie theater.
Click here to read more.
A Man was arrested for Armed Robbery on Main Street.
Police have arrested a teenager that they say robbed a convenience store at gunpoint. 18-year old van Christian schryver (shriver) was arrested in Connecticut, after police say he fired a shot at a state trooper. He's also charged with pulling a gun he had taped to his back, in a courtroom. Police in Vermont say schryver (shriver) has confessed to robbing the colonial deli mart on main street, about a month ago.
Around 11:00 P.M. April 1st, at the Champlain farms store on main street, a man walked in with a gun and demanded money. The clerk gave him some cash. And the robber took off on foot towards King Street. Police say they're looking for a tall white man in his twenties, with light brown hair. The suspect was wearing jeans and blue hooded sweatshirt.
-- end --
A murder suspect who'd planned to plead guilty in a 2006 school shooting
Wednesday refused to enter the plea, prompting prosecutors to upgrade the charges against him and begin preparing for ... a "wrenching" trial.
Saying he didn't understand the terms of the deal, Christopher A. Williams, 29, surprised a courtroom packed with family members and friends of the victims by initially balking and then reconsidering before finally telling Vermont District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford he wouldn't go through with it. ... Williams is charged in an Aug. 24, 2006 shooting spree that left two people dead and two people wounded. According to prosecutors, he was upset after breaking up with girlfriend Andrea Lambesis and went to her mother's house, fatally shooting the mother, teacher Linda Lambesis, and then driving to Essex Elementary School in search of Andrea Lambesis.
... Prosecutors allege Williams fatally shot teacher Mary Alicia Shanks, 56, and wounded teacher Mary "Jenky" Snedeker, 52, but never found Andrea Lambesis, who escaped.
Click here to read more.
A South Burlington woman faces charges of embezzling
tens of thousands of dollars from the Burlington YMCA.
Burlington Police cited Linda Hall, 59, South Burlington, to appear in court next next week on felony embezzlement charges.
The charges ended a six-month investigation that began after the Y noted financial irregularities.
Within days YWCA office manager Linda Hall reportedly admitted to Y officials that she had embezzled about ,000.
But police say the audit revealed the actual missing amount was about ,000.
It's not the first time Hall has been charged with embezzlement.
In 1999, the Y hired her shile she was still completing a prison term for bankrupting the tiny village of Bakersfield while serving as the village's clerk-treasurer. In 1986 she was convicted of embezzling more than ,000 from the village, but the town report claimed the actual amount was closer to ,000, and all of it had reportedly been squandered.
Click here to read more.
A University of Vermont student faces charges in connection
with a string of vandalism-graffiti incidents in Burlington.
Police say they arrested Steven Goldfield, 21, Wednesday on Pearl Street after they caught him in the act of spray-painting a building.
Police say there is evidence that he Goldfield has been one of Burlington's busiest graffiti vandals in recent months, responsible for hundreds of spray-painted tags signed "SENT."
But police say Goldfield's arrest will hardly put a dent in the flood of graffiti that has been inundating public and private property in Burlington.
The problem is that as soon as police arrest one tagger, two more appear.
Click here to read more.
A Winooski man pleaded innocent Monday to charges, he burglarized
the company where he works.
Timothy Ashley, 22, is accused of breaking into Vermont Paint Co. in Williston on Saturday night.
Williston police said an off-duty officer saw a man get out of a cab on Williston Road in Williston and walk behind closed businesses. The officer heard loud noises at the Vermont Paint Co. store and notified Williston police. When police arrived the suspect ran.
Police said they caught Ashley behind Vermont Wholesale Building Products, police said. Ashley told police that he worked at the paint company and entered the building with keys he had to the business, then ransacked the business to stage a break-in.
The stolen money was recovered, police said. Ashley was being held at Chittenden Regional Correctional facility in lieu of ,000 bail. -- end --
A young woman who was shot in the head two months ago has made a dramatic
recovery that some are calling a medical miracle.
Holly Ploof, 17, walked into a Burlington courthouse Friday to confront the former boyfriend accused of firing the shot that almost killed her. Four weeks ago, Ploof was fighting for her life with a less than 50-percent chance of survival. She won the fight-- and Friday she took steps to ensure the gunman who gravely wounded her knows it.
"Scary," she says-- of going to court to confront her ex-boyfriend, Dan Lavilette.
Nine weeks ago, he shot her once in the head at her family's Burlington apartment. He told police it was an accident. But he is charged with aggravated domestic assault and another gun related assault charge. He is accused of pointing a loaded gun at another teenage boy and threatening to kill him out of jealousy over a girl. In addition, police say that Lavilette was expelled from Burlington High School three years ago because he was caught trying to hide a loaded pistol on the roof of the school.
Click here to read more.
About twenty businesses and public buildings in downtown
Burlington were struck by vandals early Monday morning. Graffiti artists spray painted the city and what they wrote has angered many in the city. Swear words and derogatory statements about our troops were sprayed all over windows up and down Church Street.
Susan Bouchard arrived at her Burlington boutique Trillium this morning to find a disturbing site.
... On the Church Street Marketplace and surrounding public buildings someone spray-painted graffiti on doors and windows expressing anti-troops sentiments.
... Police are not used to seeing it either.
... The vandals hit sometime between midnight and two o'clock Monday morning. The Church Street Marketplace got to work on the problem early, so most of the slogans were gone by 7 a.m.
... "This does happen occasionally and what you do is you remove it, get it off very quickly and don't give the vandal an opportunity to have the medium so they can feel some sense of dominance," said Ron Redmond,
Click here to read more.
After Essex shooting suspect rejects plea deal,
Prosecutors reacted swiftly. They elevated the charges against Christopher Williams, 29, of Essex to the harshest available under Vermont law and said they were through offering deals, making a trial all but certain. Williams now faces one count of aggravated murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole; one count of first-degree murder; and two more of attempted first-degree murder, all with possible terms of 35 years to life.
The deal had presented Williams a slight hope of one day being freed. The bargain called for him to admit two counts of second-degree murder and one of attempted second-degree murder in exchange for a prison sentence of 48 years to life.
Click here to read more.
An attempted murder trial ended abruptly Monday
when the defendant, Daniel Valentine, 27, of Burlington, changed his plea to guilty.
Valentine changed his plea when the judge agreed to a sentence of no more than twenty years in prison.
It was a case that joined two women who had been the victims of long-time domestic violence.
Valentine was accused of using a broken beer bottle to slash and nearly kill his long-time girlfriend, Diana April, 23, in July 2000 in her Burlington apartment.
Monday April told the jury how Valentine slashed her repeatedly and she nearly bled to death.
Her neighbor Sarah Genest was scheduled to testify about how when heard April's screams, rushed in, and interrupted Valentine's attack. Genest was also slashed as a result. Burlington police say her act of bravery saved April's life.
But Genest died last week under suspicious circumstances that may involve domestic violence.
Sentencing for Valentine could come next month.
Click here to read more.
An escaped prison inmate who slipped out of a sheriffs cruiser
on his way to court on Wednesday is back in custody, but only after the suspect eluded an intensive manhunt. 23-year old Kevin Donaldson was recaptured Thursday afternoon following his second escape in as many days. On Wednesday while being transported to jail, the sheriff says Donaldson had a key to the handcuffs hidden on him. He got out of his shackles, reached through an open window to unlatch the cruiser door and bolted.
Donaldson's whereabouts for 24 hours stretched from Winooski to Underhill, his original home, where the search resumed in the morning after police received three initial tips from local residents. Vermont state police, Essex police and Chittenden county sheriff deputies established a perimeter to keep watch around the woods near Poker Hill road in Underhill where Donaldson was believed hiding. Channel 3's Noon news brought more calls to police, who set up a command center at the Underhill-Jericho fire station.
Click here to read more.
Arson Forced a UVM Dorm Evacuation.
Firefighters said two separate fires were set at the University of Vermont's Living and Learning Center on Thursday night.
Burlington firefighters said they went through the building, making sure everything was cleared out.
Students had to evacuate their dorm rooms after fire alarms were tripped by the smoke. UVM police sealed the buildings with police tape, securing it for an investigation.
Firefighters said the fires are considered suspicious.
UVM police said they take fires seriously and will prosecute those involved.
Click here to read more.
Burlington man Duyen Van Nguyen is being held without bail
after police say he stabbed his friend with a broken beer bottle.
It happened Sunday night on Hyde Street in the Old North End.
According to court documents, 34-year-old Duyen Van Nguyen spent the evening drinking with three friends in the apartment he shared with the victim, Ali Tran.
Police believe the two began fighting when Tran started dancing with Nguyen's girlfriend.
He allegedly broke a Heineken bottle and then stabbed Tran in the stomach with it, puncturing his liver.
Tran was taken to Fletcher Allen Health Care and treated for a severe liver wound.
Police also say Nguyen admitted to the crime.
He was charged Monday with second degree attempted murder and entered a plea of not guilty.
Nguyen and Tran both have lengthy criminal records.
Nguyen was also cited Monday for violation of parole on a simple assault charge from last year.
He's being held without bail.
Monday, 8/11/03
Burlington police are investigating an act of wanton vandalism
that has some people asking -- why.
Nondescript mounds of ice on the Church Street Marketplace used to be finely-made sculptures that were part of Burlington's Winter Festival -- that is until someone destroyed them.
"People were just all over Church Street enjoying the ice walk, watching our volunteer ice carvers go to work. There were some beautiful creations. We're really proud of everyone who came out.... So to see this, this morning is tough. But you know, what can you do?" said Molly McDevitt, a UVM student and Burlington Winter Festival Organizer.
Police say two people may have been involved in the vandalism. A cash reward of one-thousand dollars is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Burlington Police are warning elderly residents
to be on the lookout for a young woman wanting to come into their homes to help them with finances.
Police say the woman tells homeowners that she is a member of the "Upreach Program", and can help them save money on rent and utility bills. Once in the house, she steals money, prescription medications and anything else of value.
The woman is described as a white, thin female with blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information should call Burlington Police, 658-2704, or Crimestoppers, 1-800-427-8477.
Police say these scams are common, and homeowners should request proper identification before letting anyone into their home.
-- end --
Burlington police have arrested two men for breaking into a city
business. Police say 20 year olds James Abby and Everett White broke into Longe Brothers Market just after 10 o'clock Tuesday night. They say the two shattered a glass door, then entered the business and stole beer and cigarettes. Police tracked them down a short time later, and say they confessed to the crime.
The two men were jailed on felony burglary charges, and will be arraigned Wednesday.
Burlington police were searching Saturday for several men
who forced open the window of a police cruiser during the night and stole gear from inside.
The incident happened when officers responded to a loud party at the corner of Buell and South Union streets at about 12:50 a.m. Officers left the cruiser unattended for about 30 minutes while breaking up the party, and it was during that time one of the cruiser's windows was forced open, according to a news release from the Burlington Police Department.
A witness reported seeing three or four men breaking into the cruiser, according to the release. The men stole a black nylon bag containing blank police paperwork, tried to remove a shotgun from a locked rack and tampered with the police radio, according to the release.
Police asked witnesses to call the department at 658-2704 or Champlain Valley Crimestoppers at 864-6666.
Charlene & Joseph Lucia put out a plea for help with their roof.
Two days before Christmas, nearly 2 feet of snow covered the roof of Joseph and Charlene Lucia's mobile home in Breezy Acres Mobile Home Park. Radio warnings urged people to shovel their roofs because an impending rainstorm would add to the snow's weight on houses and barns.
Charlene Lucia's son, Earl Larocque dutifully climbed up on the roof to shovel and promptly broke through, sinking up to his knees into a space above the ceiling.
Pieces of wood and a tarp cover the hole, and the Lucias, both 72, said they don't have the $4,800 to fix the roof.
(Seven Days later reported that the Lucia's home was actually a trailer they were using. They were just seeking a free roof so they could sell the trailer.)
Click here to read more.
Chase Ortiz arrested for stalking, domestic assault,
alcohol possession by a minor and disturbing the peace/threatening harm.
Chase Ortiz of 65 Winooski Falls Way was being held at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility on Wednesday. Vermont District Judge Gregory Rainville set bail at ,000 in a Tuesday hearing.
Ortiz was charged after an 18-year-old woman told police that she had been assaulted by Ortiz over the past year and was called repeatedly and threatened after she ended their two-year relationship four months ago. She said she feared for her life, according to a Burlington Police Department affidavit.
According to the affidavit, the woman recounted to police that Ortiz told her: "My brother got away with killing someone. If he can get away with it, so can I."
Click here to read more.
Chase Ortiz, 19, of Winooski, pleaded not guilty Tuesday
to domestic assault and stalking a former girlfriend, charges that carry a combined maximum of three years in prison.
Burlington police arrested Ortiz Monday night and say their investigation revealed he placed hundreds of phone calls to the young woman after she ended their relationship last fall.
Court documents allege Ortiz repeatedly threatened to kill the woman -- and her family -- if she didn't reconcile.
Dan Lavilette, 16, shot her. Lavilette is charged
with first-degree aggravated domestic assault.
... A Burlington teenager who was shot in the head has improved so much, she is out of the hospital.
Holly Ploof, 17, was shot in her North Avenue apartment in December. For weeks she was listed in critical condition, but she has gradually improved. WCAX News has learned Ploof is now walking and has limited speech capability. She still faces long-term rehabilitation for brain injuries. She was released from Fletcher Allen is and now living at a rehab center.
Click here to read more.
Daniel Valentine
was convicted of attacking his girlfriend with a broken beer bottle three years ago in Burlington. Daniel Valentine pleaded guilty in May, after two days of testimony in his trial for attempted second-degree murder.
Click here to read more.
Downtown Burlington got a paint job this morning,
and not a good one. Over twenty buildings, including the Costello Courthouse and Masonic Temple, have been hit by graffiti artists.
Church Street Marketplace Maintenance Director Pat Rideout said, "There were many places that were hit on Church Street. I think I counted about 18 in all. Most of them were storefront glass, and it was basically vulgarity towards our troops."
On the heels of an alleged harassment incident against a uniformed guard member in Montpelier, this graffiti strikes an angry chord with many business owners.
Oasis Diner owner Jon Lines said, "The people on this street I consider to be like my neighbors… and for somebody to come by and defile their property its not only rude, its unacceptable."
Most downtown stores were cleaned off by 9 a.m., before some even opened for business.
Police say the vandalism seemed random, however, some stores that were targeted have an American flag displayed.
Click here to read more.
Dwayne Herron has been charged with helping his 11-year-old stepdaughter
steal an puppy from a pet store.
Police say Dwayne Herron, 52, and his stepdaughter stole the miniature schnauzer puppy from Noah's Ark in Colchester in November. Police had no leads until WCAX News broadcast surveillance video of Herron, the girl and another man who allegedly drove them to the store. The video triggered several tips to police and led them to Herron. The dog was later recovered at Herron's apartment in Burlington.
Herron pled innocent to one count of retail theft Thursday. After the hearing, he told WCAX News that he is innocent.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison.
Brian Joyce will have more on this story tonight on the Channel 3 News at 6:00 p.m.
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Fix my trailer's roof for free so I can sell it.
Two days before Christmas, Earl Larocque stepped through the roof of a Colchester trailer home while shoveling snow off the building. The trailer’s occupants, Larocque’s mother and her husband, Charlene and Joseph Lucia, are both 72 years old and living on fixed incomes. Faced with a repair bill, Charlene had an idea.
The community response was heartwarming, but the Lucias may not be the innocent victims the media coverage made them out to be. For one thing, the Lucia’s trailer was for sale when Charlene’s son stepped through its roof — a fact Sutkoski was aware of but chose not to report. “All along, they wanted to sell the trailer, as I understand it,” he said. “But they couldn’t sell it because the roof was bad.”
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Former security guard Derek Kearns on Wednesday admitted stealing money
from people entering Burlington's state courthouse and was ordered jailed for five days -- the first instance in Vermont, his lawyer said, of incarceration as punishment for misdemeanor theft.
Kearns, 34, of Burlington pleaded guilty to one count of petty larceny, the charge arising from a Sept. 18 incident in which he stole an unspecified amount of money from a man's belongings as they passed through an X-ray scanner. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped a second count of petty larceny.
Each charge carried a maximum penalty of one year in prison and ,000 in fines. The plea bargain also requires Kearns to spend two years on probation and perform 50 hours of community service, among other conditions.
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Gun Thieves Caught Being Rowdy With The Stolen Goods.
Can you imagine pulling off a gun heist only to get caught while having a gun party? That is what happened to three UVM students and a New Hampshire student. When Police checked out the sound of guns being fired complaint, they caught the thieves red-handed. ... Federal prosecutors today filed charges against four men in connection with the Williston gun shop burglary. The timing of last week's break in, and sheer volume of weapons taken, had police on edge. ... According to an affidavit filed today in federal court, the break in the case came last weekend, in Madison, Connecticut. Police found a uvm student firing guns in the woods, which police traced to the bj's burglary. That led federal agents to search apartments in the Burlington area, and arrest four students in the case.
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Herman Yoh is to be resentenced for killing Mary Yoh.
A man convicted of killing his wife in 1997 in Burlington will face a new sentencing hearing rather than receive a commuted sentence of 35 years, a Chittenden County judge has ruled.
Judge Christina Reiss turned aside a challenge from defense attorneys for Herman Yoh, 52, formerly of Colchester, who had argued the convict's prison sentence, overturned on appeal last year, should be established without a hearing.
Yoh received a sentence of life without parole following his 1999 conviction for the first-degree murder of Mary Yoh, 37. The Vermont Supreme Court determined, though, that Herman Yoh's incarceration was unconstitutional because the trial judge increased the term from the 35-year minimum without requiring evidence to justify the upgrade.
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Herman Yoh, sentenced to life without parole for killing his wife
ten years ago claims changes in the law require that his sentence be reduced.
In 1997, a jury declared Herman Yoh guilty of first degree murder for beating and strangling his wife, Miriam, in a Burlington hotel room after a Christmas party.
At the time, the sentencing range for first degree murder was 35 years to life unless there were aggravating factors that could lengthen the sentence. Trial Judge Brian Burgess determined that the murder was "particularly cruel" so he sentenced Yoh to life without parole.
But the Vermont Supreme Court overturned Yoh's prison term because it was imposed by the judge, not a jury.
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Hundreds of homes, apartments and other buildings
fill the 55 streets of Burlington's Old North End. The neighborhood is also home to 203 criminal offenders currently under the supervision of the Corrections Department. That includes people on probation, parole, pre-approved furlough and house arrest. Residents say that's too many.
"You know why they want to come to live in the North End? Does the other part of the city want them? No. They dump them down here. That's why they dump them right here," says resident Mary Gabbeitt.
That was the message heard at Tuesday's Neighborhood Safety Forum in Burlington. Residents say the density of offenders living in the Old North End is too high and they're working with local law enforcement and state corrections officials to change that. Residents worry about offenders committing new crimes, like those involved in last summer's beating death of a young woman and a drive by shooting on North Street.
They want to know whether high risk offenders are adequately supervised.
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Is the Case Crumbling Against Teenage Shooter?
Holly Ploof came to court for another pre-trial hearing for Dan Lavilette, her ex-boyfriend. Four months ago, he shot her once in the head at her family's apartment in Burlington. When police arrived he was waiting and reportedly told them it was an accident. Then he stopped talking to authorities.
Lavilette was charged with aggravated domestic assault. But Friday, prosecutors acknowledged they may not have enough evidence to put before a jury.
Holly Ploof has no recollection because the slug that shattered the right side of her skull pierced her brain. It is a miracle she survived. Incredibly, she is already back in high school. But she may never be able to remember what happened the day she was shot.
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James P. Brown pleaded guilty in Vermont District Court
on Wednesday to two counts of grand larceny.
He will serve no jail time, but will pay ,364.78 for his crimes. Brown paid the money -- two bank checks from Chittenden Bank -- Wednesday.
Brown paid the city more than ,000 to cover what he stole and the city's expenses for investigating him. Brown was sentenced
to 30 days on a work crew, 100 hours of community service and a one-to- four-year suspended prison term, plus the restitution.
He also gave the city a ,000 check in an agreement that prevents the city from taking legal action against him, said Janet Murnane, counsel to the city.
Deputy State's Attorney Craig Matanle described the outcome as "fairly good." Brown paid back the amount the prosecution could prove he stole, about ,000, Matanle said. The ex-city employee had a nearly spotless criminal record, which generally means a lighter penalty.
James Provost was arrested for the murder of Susan Dow
The man they were looking for, James Provost, 23, was on the run -- avoiding police. His last known address, according to his mother, was the Motel Brown in Burlington. Now it's a jail cell. ... Provost is being held on outstanding warrants for domestic assault and violations of probation. He's now been named as a suspect in the homicide that took place in a North Winooski apartment house. The victim, Susan Dow, 41, died of trauma -- though police won't elaborate.
Police say the drug investigation was triggered by Monday's arrest of James Provost, 23, Burlington, for the murder of Susan Dow, 41. Provost has reportedly confessed that he fatally beat and stabbed Dow to steal her credit cards, some cash, and personal belongings to obtain cash to buy drugs. Police say Dow resided in the victim's apartment for three weeks with the victim's decomposing body and used her car for shopping sprees with Dow's stolen property.
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Jason Elder turned himself in.
A man wanted for an armed robbery in Shelburne has been arrested.
Police say Jason Elder, 23, turned himself in on Christmas. He was wanted in connection with a robbery Saturday night at Spillane's Mobil on Route 7.
Police say he entered the store, claimed he had a pistol and demanded cash. He never showed the weapon.
Jesse Rowe was in court Monday facing several charges
stemming from a weekend barroom brawl that resulted in several injuries and a near riot, according to police.
Jesse Rowe, 20, shattered a bouncer's nose and kicked a police officer during the melee in the Ruben James Bar in Burlington early Sunday morning, according to court records. A dozen officers, every officer on duty, were called to the scene before Rowe could be subdued and removed from the bar. Police say once Rowe was outside, he incited onlookers into a near riot that was eventually quelled.
At a Monday morning arraignment at the Burlington District Court, Rowe pled not guilty to several charges including assault on a police officer, aggravated assault, and marijuana possession.
Rowe, who has no prior criminal record, was released on conditions pending trial.
The injured bouncer will require surgery to repair the shattered nose, according to Ruben James owner Jay Atkins.
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John Byors of Williston pleaded guilty to federal investment fraud charges.
John Byors admitted he bilked people out of million dollars by getting them to invest in a marble business, and then spent the money on himself.
Byors faces life in prison and a million dollar fine when he's sentenced in September.
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John Byors, 50, pleaded not guilty Friday
to a revised government indictment of 42 counts of bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, contempt of court and obstruction of justice and other charges.
Prosecutors accuse him of soliciting more than million from at least 78 investors throughout New England to pay for an operation to harvest rare red marble from a quarry in Swanton, but repaying only 16 investors while spending most of the cash on personal items such as cars, horses and home renovations.
Conviction would carry substantial fines and prison time. A plea bargain that would have sent Byors to prison for six years and required him to pay about .4 million in restitution fell apart in May for reasons that have never been explained publicly. He was first charged in 2005 and has been jailed pending trial since February 2006.
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John Hawley was arrested on charges of assault and robbery,
A 20-year-old Milton man, who reportedly told police he had a drug problem, was arrested Saturday afternoon in connection with an armed robbery and two attempted robberies Friday in Colchester.
Colchester police Detective Sgt. Charles Cole said John Hawley was arrested about 4 p.m. when he went to Colchester police headquarters to talk about what he thought was an unrelated matter.
Hawley will be arraigned Monday morning on charges of assault and robbery, attempted assault and robbery, and attempted robbery, Cole said. He was expected to be lodged Saturday night at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington.
Friday, Colchester police reported that a man brandishing a knife demanded money at the Bayside Triple M Deli on Heineberg Drive at about 5 p.m. The clerk reportedly fled and no money was taken.
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Jonathan LaPointe is main suspect in a Murder-Suicide.
Authorities removed the body of Jennifer Bell, 24, just before 10:00 PM Wednesday. Bell never showed up for her job as a financial analyst Monday and was reported missing by a co-worker. Police then interviewed Bell's live-in boyfriend at their Intervale Avenue apartment and were told she was visiting out of town relatives. They were still investigating Wednesday when Essex police reported an apparent suicide by Bell's boyfriend, Jonathan LaPointe, 26.
... Police say LaPointe shot himself in his mother's home. Because of that and other evidence authorities went back to the couple's apartment armed with a search warrant. And that's where they found Bell's body hidden in a closet late Wednesday.
Police records show the two had a history of domestic violence.
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Joseph D. Heim, 31, pleaded guilty in Vermont District Court
in Burlington to two felony counts of burglary and was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison, Deputy Chittenden County State's Attorney Justin Jiron said.
Heim admitted breaking in to the Williston Golf Club in July and stealing at least ,000 from a safe, and burglarizing the Medical Office Building on the Fanny Allen campus of Fletcher Allen Health Care in Colchester and taking thousands of dollars in medication, including an experimental cancer-treatment drug, Jiron said.
The burglaries took place after Heim had been charged with committing a dozen heists during the summer of 2006 at state parks across Vermont, from Bennington to Grand Isle counties. A related case is pending in Vermont District Court in North Hero, where a pretrial conference is scheduled for today and jury selection is set for Nov. 29, according to the court's calendar.
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Jury selection for a murder trial begins Monday
in the case of a Shelburne man who claims he acted in self-defense.
Skylar Underhill, 21, is accused of fatally shooting Rhynell Lewis, 36, of Burlington, after an argument about who was the better fighter.
Underhill is expected to argue that he was defending himself when he shot Lewis in the chest with a .45-caliber handgun after a party in April 2006.
Underhill is facing a charge of first-degree murder.
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Kaseen Smith faces Faces Ten Years For Attempting To Grab Cop's Gun.
A Williston man could spend ten years behind bars for attempting to snatch a police officer's pistol.
A Burlington jury found Kaseen Smith guilty of the felony charge of attempting to disarm a police officer.
Police say Smith grabbed the gun handle in the holster as a Williston police officer was preparing to fingerprint him.
The incident occurred after Smith was arrested on several charges, including sexual assault and aggravated domestic assault. He still awaits trial on those charges.
Brian Joyce - WCAX News
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Kenneth MacKay has been Accused Of Embezzling $2.2 Million.
The Vermont district attorney has charged a Williston man with engaging in a scheme to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Kenneth MacKay, 36, was in federal court Monday.
An investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation found MacKay embezzled more than .2 million from his employer, Willis Management Ltd., and its clients.
The investigation said MacKay used that money to purchase his home in Williston and a condominium in Florida.
The Vermont district attorney, in a statement, said that MacKay created a shell corporation and opened bank accounts in the corporation's name.
The statement goes on to allege that MacKay would cause money to be deposited into those accounts and that he used that money for personal purposes.
The missing money was eventually noticed by management at Willis, who contacted the FBI.
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Kevin J. Hampsey, 20, of Hyde Park was arraigned on arson charges
Thursday in Chittenden District Court.
A 23-page affidavit assembled by Essex Police Detective John Ruttenberg contends that Hampsey schemed with Sarah Meier, the wife of the building's owner -- and perhaps others -- to torch the brick building at 8 Railroad Ave. for insurance money.
Michael Meier, the building's owner, who is not implicated in the affidavit, received ,000 from his insurance company for the loss.
Hampsey, who lived in Essex Junction at the time of the fire, faces four counts of arson in the first degree, one for each of the apartments that were destroyed. He also is being charged with the burglary of jewelry from Fabulous Finds consignment shop, which shared the ground floor of the building with X-Rays Barbershop.
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Linda Hall is a Convicted Embezzler.
She was the former town clerk in the tiny village of Bakersfield. In 1986 she pled guilty to embezzling more than ,000 from the village, more than enough to bankrupt the town and force villagers to hold fundraisers to make ends meet. Hall served two years of a three years sentence.... The new charges ended a six-month investigation that began after the Y noted financial irregularities. Within days YWCA office manager Linda Hall reportedly admitted to Y officials that she had embezzled about ,000. But police say the audit revealed the actual missing amount was about ,000.
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Michael Gilchrist, 38, was Arrested for Ramming Car Twice.
Police arrested a Milton man for ramming his car into another vehicle twice-- right after he allegedly caused a commotion at a Williston quick stop.
Michael Gilchrist, 38, was arrested Wednesday.
Police say a driver had stopped to let a pedestrian cross the street in front of her vehicle, when Gilchrist ran into her from behind. They say he then backed up, slammed into her car again and took off.
Minutes earlier, police say Gilchrist threatened workers at Clark's Sunoco on 2A because the pay phone didn't work.
He was charged with aggravated assault, DUI refusal, leaving the scene of an accident and simple assault.
Michael Maslak gets a year in jail for a nightclub stabbing.
An Essex man will spend a year in jail for stabbing another man at Higher Ground nightclub in South Burlington a year ago.
Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan announced today that Michael Maslak, 21, was convicted of aggravated assault with a weapon and was sentenced to a term of a year in jail and two to six years on probation.
Michael Maslak, 21, of Essex stabbed Nicholas Heilig, 23, of Castleton with a box cutter after the two had an argument in the club’s parking lot in the early hours of Dec. 4, 2006, according to police affidavits and witness statements. Heilig suffered a 4-inch laceration on his chest, was treated and recovered.
A security guard tackled Maslak, restraining him until police arrived.
Michelle McElaney
, A woman charged in connection with a multi-state crime spree is going to jail.
Michelle McElaney, 62, was arrested in Burlington in September along with her husband, Paul, 60. The pair were charged with stealing credit cards and identities. Police say when they caught up with the pair camping at North Beach, they were set up with high-end gear and clothing they bought in Burlington with credit cards stolen from victims in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Thursday, Michelle McElaney pled guilty to Vermont's new ID theft law. Under a plea deal, the state dismissed two other charges against her and she got eight months behind bars.
Her husband, Paul, is due in court Friday for a change of plea.
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Paul Gracey admitted he assaulted teenage son.
Paul Gracey, 39, agreed to serve eight to 15 years in prison. Gracey avoided a possible life sentence by pleading guilty, said Chittenden County State's Attorney Bob Simpson, the prosecutor.
His trial was scheduled to start today.
Gracey pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon in Vermont District Court in Burlington to felony counts of aggravated assault, obstructing justice and possession of stolen property, Simpson said. In exchange, prosecutors dropped one felony charge of assault and robbery, and two felony habitual-offender counts.
The habitual-offender charges carried up to life in prison, Simpson said.
... Dashnow suffered a broken bone in his face and a concussion, Simpson said. ... Gracey's criminal records includes a number of burglaries and aiding in manslaughter, according to court records. The manslaughter charge relates to the 1988 beating death of a 78-year-old Jonesville man in his home during an attempted robbery. Gracey, who originally had been charged with first-degree murder, pleaded guilty in 1993 to the lesser charge and was sentenced to 13 to 14 years in prison. He was released in December 2001.
Peter Donin, A 25-year-old Burlington man was apprehended
by city police after a resident saw the suspect spray painting a utility box near the Moran plant this morning.
Burlington Police said they arrived at the plant on the waterfront at about 7:30 a.m. and identified Peter Donin, of Burlington as the vandal. Several cans of spray paint were recovered as evidence, and it was determined that fresh damage had been done to the utility box.
Damage costs have not yet been estimated, police said.
For more information about graffiti-resistant coatings and the penalties associated with spray paint-related violence, visit the Burlington Police Department Web site at bpdvt.org.
Peter Holland of Burlington is accused of robbing again.
Burlington...authorities are out in force...searching for a bank robber. The Vermont Development Credit Union on Pearl Street is ripped off; the FBI called to the scene.
... Police are quick to respond, but the robber gets away. However, he is caught on camera. Surveillance video clearly shows a man loading up on the stolen cash.
Not long after, police identify a suspect they're searching for, 51-year-old Peter Holland of Burlington. And he's a man with a past. In July of 1988, nearly 16 years ago to the day, Holland was charged with three bank robberies; one in Brattleboro, one in Montpelier and another in Burlington.
Sources say Holland was refused business at some area banks in recent years because of his sordid history at banks. But he was a customer at the credit union. That bank also said he held checking accounts at two other Burlington area banks. He apparently did not show up as a risk when those banks checked with the "Financial Crimes Enforcement Network".
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Police are investigating the death of a woman who died
Thursday afternoon four days after she was delivered to the ER at Fletcher Allen Health Care. Channel 3 News has learned that she arrived there with severe head injuries.
"She was taken to the hospital by some people and there was no record of any 911 call," said Toof. "We've been speaking to many people and we plan on speaking to more people as we develop information in this investigation."
Police will not identify the woman but we have learned that she is 32 year old Sarah Genest. We have also learned that she was living in an apartment at 82 Front Street with her two young children and their father, 34-year-old Robert Jones, her longtime boyfriend. Court records show Jones was living with her on prison furlough completing a DWI sentence, his most recent conviction in a lengthy 19 year criminal career.
Jones was returned to prison this week after Genest's death , but police say for now Jones is not a suspect in connect with the incident.
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Police are on the lookout for a man they say fired a gun
inside a restaurant in Burlington.
Drops of dried blood are still visible on the sidewalk outside of Parima's. A bloody fight Saturday capped off hip- hop music night at the Pearl Street bar and restaurant.
... "I'm not even sure how it was initiated," said restaurant manager Jeff Sherman. "One of the guys got in a fight with the doorman."
Sherman was part of the scuffle. But he and the patrons are lucky to have walked away unharmed -- because the fighting lead to shooting.
"As soon as they started fighting, one of the guys in front of them reached into the front of his pants and pulled out a gun. He turned back, aimed into air and fired two or three rounds. We have a security camera and you see everyone jump and start hiding the second it happened."
26 year-old Sean Fabian and 22 year-old David Harris have both been charged in connection with the fighting. Fabian was also charged for possession of crack cocaine.
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Police are searching for the man who they said robbed Clarks Sunoco
on Route 2a in Williston early Tuesday.
Police said the man walked into the gas station wearing a heavy, dark coat, jeans and a ball cap that said "US Army" at about 5 a.m. and told the clerk to empty the register. Police said the man had his hand in his pocket and made the clerk believe he had a weapon.
The man punched the clerk in the head and left with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.
Police said the suspect got into a green, gold, or tan 2004-2005 Toyota Corolla that was driven by another person. The car was last seen driving north on Interstate 89.
Anyone with information should call Williston police at 802-878-6611.
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Police are seeking public help in apprehending the muggers
who robbed and injured a 78-year-old woman in South Burlington.
The elderly woman was attacked by purse snatchers Tuesday afternoon in the Bon Ton's parking lot at the University Mall in South Burlington.
"Four white males approached her, assaulted her, wrestled her for her purse," said South Burlington Detective Paul Edwards.
" In the process, she fell down and had a compound fracture to her arm," Edwards continued, "which required hospitalization and she had to get some surgery."
Tuesday Channel 3 telecast bank surveillance photos of an unidentified woman who unsuccessfully tried to use the victim's credit cards to get cash at a Burlington ATM minutes after the mugging. Police would like to like to hear from anyone who can identify woman.
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Police Arrested Anthony Grasso in Gas Station Assault.
Williston Police say they have caught the man who robbed and assaulted a gas station clerk. Anthony Grasso, 42, of Burlington was arrested Wednesday. Police say Grasso is the man caught on surveillance tape punching the clerk at Clark's Sunoco on 2A in Williston at about 5:00 a.m. on December 12. The clerk was OK.
Grasso is charged with assault and robbery. He will answer to the charges in Vermont District Court on January 3.
Police say CrimeStoppers received numerous tips from citizens after the video aired on WCAX News.
Police began chasing a car after the driver allegedly crossed the
center line and nearly rammed a state trooper. Six agencies responded, as the motorist reportedly reached speeds upwards of 90 miles per hour near the Shelburne - South Burlington town line. That forced officers to back off fearing the driver could hurt others on the road.
"All of the sudden he passed me at 90 miles per hour on swift street," said Jeff Hayes, who witnessed the chase. "He almost hit me head-on."
Police lost the suspect. But witnesses followed the speeding car to Kids Town on Swift Street -- where the suspect then took off on foot. Police were notified and quickly began searching a wooded area nearby. A police dog was brought in.
"We got a scent off the car and tracked him into the woods," said Trooper Brian Penders.
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Police in Burlington are looking for thieves who stole
an expensive wheelchair from a homeless double amputee.
Walter Glover, 59, reported that the 300-pound chair was stolen around 3:30 Wednesday morning while he rested on a bench less than 50 feet from the power chair. He had left it plugged into an outlet for battery recharge.
The ,500 "Jazzy" chair, manufactured by Pride Inc., was on temporary loan to Glover from New England Medical Systems of Essex Junction pending repairs to Glover's own chair, according to Glover and a Medical Systems spokesman.
The company delivered another loaner chair to Glover less than an hour after the theft, according to Glover.
Burlington Police found no trace of the missing chair after they were called to the scene around 4:30 Thursday morning. Police ask anyone with information about the missing chair to call them at 658-2700.
Brian Joyce - Channel 3 News
Police in South Burlington were searching Wednesday for a man
and a woman who assaulted a man in his South Burlington apartment, brandished a knife with a 6-inch blade and stole the man's money, according to a news release.
The incident happened at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
In the release, South Burlington police describe the man as about 5 feet 10 inches tall with long black hair and wearing black pants and a black T-shirt. Police said it was he who had the knife.
The woman is described as short with blonde hair, wearing a tank top and sweat pants.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call South Burlington police at 846-4111 or Champlain Valley Crimestoppers at 864-6666.
Police pleaded for the suspect in a Burlington homicide to come
forward Tuesday.
... The man they were looking for, James Provost, 23, was on the run -- avoiding police. His last known address, according to his mother, was the Motel Brown in Burlington. Now it's a jail cell.
... Provost is being held on outstanding warrants for domestic assault and violations of probation. He's now been named as a suspect in the homicide that took place in a North Winooski apartment house. The victim, Susan Dow, 41, died of trauma -- though police won't elaborate. Police say the victim was killed quite a while ago -- possibly weeks.
Police are not commenting on a possible motive, or if the victim and Provost knew each other. However, the victim's car was reported missing. It was picked up by police. And a short time later we learned Provost was picked up too.
Provost is expected to be arraigned Wednesday. And police would like to hear from anyone who has been around Provost during the last couple of weeks
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Police say the body of James Ferrin, 40, was discovered
late Sunday afternoon in a transient camping area near the intersection of 189 and Shelburne Road in South Burlington.
Police immediately called the death suspicious. They identified the victim Monday following the autopsy but are releasing no details about how Ferrin died. However a group of homeless people gathered in Burlington's city hall park Monday afternoon told us they know it was murder. A man who calls himself only James says Jimmy Ferrin reportedly had a long-standing feud with another homeless man at the camping area where the body was found.
Despite the possibility of a gruesome murder in the homeless camp there was no sign Monday that any of the transient residents had been scared away. For now, the homeless will apparently keep right on camping here awaiting word about just how and why someone died here.
Brian Joyce - Channel 3 News
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Police were searching Tuesday for a man who robbed the Airport
Grocery in South Burlington at knifepoint Monday night, authorities said.
The incident took place just before 8:30 p.m. at the store on Airport Drive, according to a news release from the South Burlington Police Department. The release said a man entered the store, brandished a knife and demanded money. He fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.
Police dogs followed the man's scent for a time, but the suspect wasn't found, according to the release.
Police describe the man as about 40 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 160 pounds and with a mole under one eye. He was wearing a green nylon windbreaker with a hood and dark pants, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call South Burlington police at 846-4111 or Champlain Valley Crimestoppers at 864-6666.
Robert Andres
is a Burlington lawyer who was sentenced to jail time for simple assault has been suspended for at least two months. Robert Andres, 48, began serving a three-month sentence in August for hitting a man in a wheelchair. A complaint based on this criminal case was filed against Andres with the Professional Responsibility Program.
However, the Vermont Supreme Court granted a temporary and immediate suspension of Andres' license until the Professional Responsibility Program makes its finding. In addition, the program imposed a two-month suspension, beginning Nov. 1, in a separate case in which Andres was accused of failing to follow through with a client's case. E. Bakersfield woman dies in car accident
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Seventeen year-old Paul Dean,
and four other teens were cited, in lieu of arrest, for trying to steal liquor from the Burlington Country Club.
The States Attorneys' Office says burglary is a felony and could carry a maximum of fifteen years in prison.
All five are members of the Burlington High School hockey team.
Police say Dean was the driver and waited outside while the other four went into a storage area where the country club kept liquor.
Howard Dean is Vermont's former governor and a 2004 Democratic candidate for president.
Dean is cutting short a campaign stop in Iowa and is returning home to Burlington.
In a statement Dean said, "When a child gets in trouble like this, it constitutes a family crisis, and I believe it's important that I be home."
The Dean campaign says plans for Howard Dean's formal announcement of his candidacy for president on Monday in Burlington have not changed.
Friday 6/20/03
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Several businesses have received counterfeit cash
that's being passed off as the real thing.
"In this case, there are quite a few bills in a small geographic area and it could impact a number of stores area wide," said Cpl. Peter Chapman of the Burlington Police Dept.
Burlington police have recovered four fake fifty dollar bills in the city -- all have the same serial numbers and all are poor quality reproductions. Officials are asking the public to pay close attention to large bills for the next few days.
"It might look like a new bill. It might have color smears, no watermark or the paper doesn't quite feel right," said Cpl. Chapman. And he says, if you look closely, you'll know right away it's not genuine.
... The cases will be handled by federal officials to investigate. Still anyone with information should contact their local police.
Joan Ritchie - Channel 3 News
Several dormitories on the University of Vermont campus were evacuated
Thursday night after two fires were intentionally set in trash cans.
University Police say the first fire was noticed a little before 9:30 p.m. in one of the Living and Learning buildings. As firefighters were responding to that, the second fire set off another alarm in a second building.
Police say it looks like the fires were intentionally set in trash and recycling rooms.
"It's a little unusual," said UVM Police Chief Gary Margolis. "We're a little concerned. Obviously we're going to move forward with all appropriate haste and diligence and try and understand who may have done this and begin canvassing our students for who may know about what happened tonight. We'll do our best to identify who did this and hold them accountable and responsible for their actions."
Police say a student cut her hand while putting out the first fire using a fire extinguisher. She was treated on the scene.
The only damage is from a small amount of smoke.
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Shelburne Police are searching for a man who robbed Spillanes Gas Station
Saturday night.
Police said the man entered the gas station at 8:18 p.m. Saturday and demanded cash from the clerk.
They said he held his hand in his sweatshirt pocket, and did not show a weapon.
The man was wearing a cut off shirt sleeve or trouser leg with eye holes cut in to it on his head.
Police said the man was also wearing a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up.
The man is described as white, and about 6 feet tall.
Anyone with information is being asked to call Shelburne Police at (802) 985-8051
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South Burlington police want you to be on the lookout
for burglars. There have been eighteen break-ins during the last couple of months. Most of them were in homes, about a half dozen more were in businesses.
All the crimes occurred along Williston Road, Dorset Street, and Spear Street. The residential crimes have been in early evenings and involved the theft of cash and jewelry. South Burlington Police say if you see suspicious activity give them a call at 846-4111. They also recommend homeowners keep lights and televisions on at night.
Stabbing Suspect Enreko Tyler Turned Himself In.
A Massachusetts man is charged with the near-fatal stabbing of a man in Burlington during a spat over the color of a shirt.
Police say 31-year-old Enreko Tyler stabbed Terrance Wills multiple times early Sunday morning following an after-hours party at the Tiki Bar.
Police say the fight started outside the bar after Tyler asked Wills why he was wearing a pink shirt.
Tyler pled innocent to attempted 2nd-degree murder.
He was ordered held without bail.
Wills remains in serious condition but is expected to recover.
Brian Joyce - Channel 3 News
Stephen and Susan Sutti were arrested for allegedly carjacking.
Carjackers in Burlington on Monday targeted a minivan carrying vacationers from England, but a quick-thinking 10-year-old and witnesses quickly foiled the crime.
The pair didn't get more than a mile from the Brooks Pharmacy parking lot on South Winooski Avenue, where they tried to commandeer the van shortly after noon, Burlington police said. The Suttis are charged with assault and robbery, and operating a vehicle without the owner's consent.
marks the third time in three years that he has been arrested while living in the community as a furloughed prisoner. ... Sutti had about six months left on his sentence when he was released last month, Kotkin said. He was serving a three-year sentence for attempted aggravated assault on a police officer.
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The courtroom was packed Wednesday morning with friends and relatives
of the victims of the Essex shooting. They were expecting to hear Christopher Williams plead guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in return for 48 years in prison, until he was age 75.
But Williams indicated he was having trouble understanding the plea deal that had been worked out over two months and might renege-- triggering a sarcastic comment from his own lawyer, Richard Haesler. "How many times are we going to change our minds today?"
Williams was apparently going to change it again and again. The judge ordered a number of recesses and breaks to give him an opportunity to confer with his lawyer, but at the end of three hours, he changed his mind for the last time.
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The felony-assault trial of former UVM hockey star Graham
Mink ended abruptly today when he agreed to plead guilty to a less serious charge. For two years the 23-year-old Mink has fought charges that he repeatedly kicked a man in the head during a beer brawl in Burlington. The charges ended Mink's UVM hockey career, but he went on to star with the Portland Pirates in Maine and reportedly has a chance to move up to the Washington Capitals next season. Today Mink agreed to plead guilty to a less serious charge of simple assault as part of a deal that will get him no more than 45 days in jail. The exact length of the sentence will be determined at hearings this week.
Brian Joyce - Channel 3 News
The state attorney general opened investigations Monday into 13
age discrimination complaints filed by former workers at IBM Corp. in Essex Junction.
The Vermont attorney general has received 32 complaints in all, said Kate Hayes, assistant attorney general in the civil rights unit. "More are coming in," she said. Normally, the office receives fewer than 15 age discrimination complaints per year.
Monday, Hayes asked IBM to respond to 13 of those complaints by mail. Each complaint must be answered individually. The technology giant has until the end of September to respond.
The attorney general has asked the remaining 19 ex-IBMers who filed complaints to provide more details on their employment before the attorney general will formally investigate. The federal equal employment law prohibits employers from firing workers because they are too old.
The two dozen or so computers stolen from South Burlington
High School a couple of weeks ago are being returned to the school today.
South Burlington police found the computers at the home of a student in Grand Isle last week.
Police say the computers had been removed from the building by 2 students who gained entry through a window that had had a lock removed.
Staff of the school will go over the computers to assess any damage.
The students involved are facing felony charges that could lead to jail time and fines.
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The Vermont Attorney General is investigating age discrimination
complaints by former employees of IBM Corp. in Essex Junction, said Kate Hayes, an assistant attorney general in the civil rights unit.
Hayes said Tuesday that she had received three claims against IBM stemming from its layoff of 770 employees, announced June 4. Normally, the office receives fewer than 15 age discrimination complaints per year.
The employees have the right to file a federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint by the end of March , Hayes said.
"The first thing we will do is ask IBM to respond to each specific complaint and why it is not age discrimination," Hayes said.
Hayes expected that IBM would respond with perhaps 20 to 30 pages per complaint. Workers can either respond or accept the explanation.
If the AG finds that IBM has discriminated against workers after further investigation, negotiations for compensation would begin. IBM could have to provide back pay, reinstate the worker's jobs or compensate in some other way.
Thieves stole about in tools ReCycle North uses
to disassemble buildings and re-use the material, officials with the nonprofit group said Monday.
Somebody broke into the ReCycle North Building Materials Center on Burlington's Pine Street some time between Saturday night and Monday morning, officials with ReCycle North said.
The theft harms ReCycle North's ability to reclaim building material for use in other projects, said Rob Rickertson, ReCycle North's Deconstruction Services Manager.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call the Burlington Police Department or ReCycle North.
-- From staff, wire reports
Trial began Tuesday for a Shelburne man charged with murder for gunning
down an unarmed party-goer in Burlington. The defendant admits he did it, but he claims it was self-defense.
The first state witness, Kurtis Jones, 27, Burlington, told the jury how murder suspect Skylar Underhill-Ortiz, 21, showed him his 45-caliber pistol and the only bullet he had for the gun about twelve hours before Underhill-Ortiz fatally shot Rhynell Lewis, 36.
Lewis was killed in Jones' Burlington apartment in April 2006 during a party. Underhill-Ortiz admits he shot the unarmed Lewis, firing from inches away, after the two men argued. Jones says Lewis pushed or hit Underhill-Ortiz in the chest and then Lewis dared Underhill-Ortiz to shoot him.
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University of Vermont police were searching Wednesday for two men
who robbed a student in his dorm room Tuesday night, Detective Tim Bilodeau said.
The robbery happened about 8:30 p.m. in Chittenden Hall on UVM's main campus. The victim, whose name Bilodeau declined to release, is a 19-year-old freshman from Ohio, the detective said.
A weapon likely was involved in the robbery, though Bilodeau said police were investigating what it might have been. The robbers threatened the victim. Something was stolen, but Bilodeau said he couldn't say what it was because the investigation was continuing.
Bilodeau said the student initially reported being robbed at gunpoint and having cash stolen. He later changed that story, and cash was not taken, the detective said.
The suspects are described as white and college age, Bilodeau said. He said they probably are not UVM students. Anyone with information is asked to call UVM police at 656-3473.
-- From staff reports
Vermont state prosecutors in Chittenden County want to use
the on-ice behavior of a pro hockey player to help prove he's responsible for an off-ice assault.
Former University of Vermont hockey player Graham Mink is charged with kicking an unconscious man in the head during an off-campus fight two years ago on Buell Street in Burlington.
Mink now plays professional hockey in Portland, Maine, where he served a ten game suspension for attacking a referee. Prosecutors want to use that incident to help prove their criminal case.
Brian Joyce - Channel 3 News
When it comes to crime, 2007 appears to be ending much like it began.
Now Vermont convenience stores are on the alert.
Police said there have been three robberies reported within just two weeks, much like the beginning of the year when 18 robberies occurred in the first 45 days of the year. Officials said they blamed drugs for the mid-winter spike, but are scouring surveillance footage to catch the thieves.
Two of three recently accused robbery suspects appeared in court Wednesday after they were caught on camera, said court officials. They said Jason Elder was in court in Burlington facing charges that he robbed a Mobil gas station in Shelburne. Police said he's the same man they saw on camera and allegedly had a gun when he took on Saturday night.
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Williston marble dealer John Byors admitted in court Tuesday
that he swindled dozens of investors in his Swanton quarrying business out of millions of dollars between 2000 and 2005.
Byors, 50, made his surprise confession during a late-afternoon hearing in U.S. District Court in Burlington, one day before jury selection was scheduled to begin in his federal trial.
Facing a 42-count indictment of bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, contempt of court, obstruction of justice and other charges, Byors instead pleaded guilty to 16 charges. He admitted counts of bank fraud, mail fraud, travel fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Burlington.
Travel fraud means inducing someone to travel across state lines to further a fraudulent act, defense attorney Bradley Stetler said. He declined to characterize his thoughts about Byors' plea deal.
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Williston police are investigating a robbery.
It happened around 5:00 a.m. Wednesday at Clark's Sunoco on 2A just off Interstate-89. Police say a white man wearing a dark bubble jacket and a baseball cap with U.S. Army on it walked into the store and demanded cash from the clerk.
The suspect did not show the clerk a weapon, but the clerk believed he was armed because of the way he held his hand in his pocket.
There was a brief struggle and the suspect punched the clerk in the head and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police say the robber ran into the parking lot and hopped into the passenger seat of a waiting car that took off north on I-89. The car was described as gold, tan or green 2004-2005 Toyota Corolla.
The clerk is ok.
If you know who this man is or have any information on this crime call Williston Police at 878-6611.
Click here to read more.
Winooski police are looking for a woman who stole
most of a man's belongings while she was house sitting for him, and then wrote about in stolen checks to two other people who cashed them.
A local man offered to let the woman house sit for him while he was out of town for a couple of weeks at the end of August, Winooski Police Officer Jim Fuller said. When the man returned home, most of his belongings were gone.
The woman gave her name and has been identified in photos as Tess Dunnings, 26, Fuller said. Police have been unable to locate her. Fuller said there is a warrant out for her arrest for failing to show up in court last week on charges of theft and driving with a suspended license.
Two people were caught on a bank surveillance tape cashing the man's checks, Fuller said. The names on the checks were Daniel Robert Milory and Christine Scully, though it is unclear if these are their real names.
Winooski police were called to an apartment on West Street
just after 3:30 Sunday morning. A frantic caller claimed someone was trying to get in.
"It was brief call," said Detective James Fuller. "The caller said there's someone with a gun trying to break into our house and then phone went dead."
Officers arrived moments later. One man was chased briefly, but eventually got away. The victims told police their story.
"The statements given were that two men broke in through a window," said Fuller. "There was a light scuffle and robbery. The victim and some friends blockaded a door and the persons forced open that door and put hand in and fired shots into bedroom."
Police say it was lucky no one was injured or worse. They also point out that a young child was in the apartment at the time of the shooting. Detectives followed up several leads all day.
"We believe this incident was a targeted offense. It was not random," said Fuller.
Joan Ritchie - Channel 3 News
Woman is accused of swindling people
(by telling) co-workers she lost seven family members in the World Trade Center attacks pleaded innocent Thursday to making up the story and accepting donation money her co-workers raised.
Carrie-Anne Drumm also was charged with stealing cash and merchandise while working at the gift shop at the Radisson Hotel Burlington. According to court papers, she took ,000 from the store, ,225 of which was Sept. 11 donation money.
Drumm, 29, was released on conditions after appearing in Vermont District Court in Burlington on charges of grand larceny and false pretenses. ... Soulia said ,033 in cash and ,617 in merchandise were taken.
Soulia also told police that Drumm said she lost seven family members in the World Trade Center attacks. He said Drumm told people her family was visiting New York City and was in the buildings when they fell.
YMCA Probe is Targeting a Convicted Embezzler.
A former town clerk who embezzled her village into bankruptcy is back at the center of a criminal investigation.
Once again the crime is embezzlement but this time the victim is the Burlington YMCA.
... Decker says YMCA officials called a week ago requesting an investigation into missing funds. Police say the investigation immediately focused on the Y's former office manager who was employed for 15 years at the Y until she resigned in August under a cloud of suspicion.
... That's Linda Hall, the former town clerk in the tiny village of Bakersfield. In 1986 she pled guilty to embezzling more than ,000 from the village, more than enough to bankrupt the town and force villagers to hold fundraisers to make ends meet.
Hall served two years of a three years sentence and was released on probation with orders to get a job and repay Bakersfield at per week.
She found her job even before she got out of prison, The Burlington YMCA hired her knowing her full history.
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