April 2009 Archives

Hudson police are currently investigating the felonious discharge of a firearm on April 28, about 9:15 pm. A red SUV was traveling north on River Road when it was struck by what appears to be a large caliber handgun round. Police say the round was fired from a moving vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. The victims in this case described the suspect vehicle as an older model, dark-colored pickup truck with a lighter-colored stripe on the sides. The vehicle did not have any distinguishing marks or bumper stickers and contained an unknown number of occupants.
Anyone with information relating to this case is asked to contact the Hudson Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at (603) 886-6011 Callers may remain anonymous.

If you missed Chris Camire's story this week, Billerica police are expanding their online presence. Incident reports are now uploaded to CrimeReports.com, which translates them into Google maps:

Go on the site, and type in your Zip code (01821 for Billerica, 01862 for North Billerica). There aren't specifics, such as exact addresses and names of victims, but it's a useful tool for crime followers.

WOBURN — Tammy Nickerson, a 45-year-old Woburn woman who left her job at Saints Medical Center in Lowell Thursday night and never made it home, has been found. That ends one mystery but begins another one as police in Woburn aren't saying when, where or how.
A call was placed to the desk at the Woburn P.D. on Saturday at about 7 p.m. to see if there was any new news to add to the story that ran in Saturday morning's paper about the disappearance. An officer answering the phone said, "She's been located. That's all I can give you right now." Asked if we should try back later in the evening, the officer said something like, "You can try."
On Friday, we were not able to find out if Tammy Nickerson was married, had children, lived with her parents, barely any information was given out except that she was 5'-7", weighed 180 pounds and had long blond hair. They provided WBZ-TV with a photo of the missing woman. Police also said that during the day a State Police helicopter scoured the route she normally took back and forth to work, looking for the brown Ford Taurus she was driving. Police gave us the plate number and asked for our help in getting the word out.
It was a different story on Saturday night, however. When The Sun called back around 9:30 p.m. the same officer who answered previously said, "That's all we can tell you right now. Try again tomorrow or Monday."
So, check back here tomorrow or Monday. Hopefully, we'll have more information.

Seems that father and son John and Jake Wells of Salem, N.H., had a bit of an argument last night. When police arrived, John Wells held them off with a running chain saw. And before it was all over, Jake Wells was in cuffs, too.

Click here

I'll be on vaction until May, so I wish everyone a good week or so. Keep checking back. I'm sure my co-workers will still come up with some good stuff for the blog while they fill in for me.

I just hope it's not too much better than my entries.

-Rob

If you see this guy around Billerica anytime soon I recommend you don't make change for him.

Billerica Police say he's been into several Market Basket stores in Billerica, where he usually buys something cheap, pays with a $50, and then comes back a little later and claims he was only given change for a $10.

Police are trying to track him down, so if you know who he is give Billerica Police a call at (978) 671-0900.

Dracut made a nice arrest on a house break Saturday, but it took me a bit to track the story down. It's still worth a mention I think.

They got a call Sunday about 8 p.m., after a resident of 85 Wheeler Road had a guy break into his front door and go running up the steps of his home. The resident yelled at the burglar, who must have thought no one was home.
He promptly ran back down the steps and out the door.

The homeowner had earlier noticed a man come to the door, and then leave in a black Volkswagen with a broken tail light in back. He saw the same car as the burglar fled.

The homeowner, who was unharmed, told police about the Volkswagen, and Sgt. Robert Richard spotted it on Pelczar Road a short distance from the scene.
Both the driver and passenger in the car had arrest warrants, and both were later charged with breaking and entering at night.

The driver was Patrick Donovan, 32, of Dracut. The passenger was Shawn Keefe, 28, of Tyngsboro, who had a couple warrants for other breaks in Lowell and Billerica.

Good thing the resident was attentive enough to notice the vehicle, and that Sgt. Richard was alert enough to spot it.
Police are still investigating whether Keefe and Donovan may have been involved in other recent breaks as well.

Burglaries have been up in Lowell and most towns around the region, although they were down in Dracut between 2007 and 2008. Nice arrests like this could help continue that trend.

If you saw the police helicopter circling around outer Gorham Street Monday afternoon about 5 p.m., don't worry, you're not missing big news.

A city police officer noticed it too at 5 p.m., and radioed dispatch to find out if something was going on. The state troopers in the helicopter were monitoring Lowell frequencies, though, and quickly radioed in to let city police know they were just on patrol.

All is well. I doubt anyone minds the extra police presence.

and they want to know if you can help find him.

Police now have a warrant charging Dennis King, 25, with three counts of armed assault with intent to murder and aggravated assault on a pregnant female in connection with the early Friday morning shooting of a woman at 696 Merrimack St.
The victim, who is 39-years-old, was six months pregnant. She was shot in the chest and shoulder.

Police haven't said much about this incident, but I know they were really looking for this guy on Saturday. They never named him in radio broadcasts, but they were looking for someone all over the Highlands on Saturday night.
At least four detectives were involved, as I drove by one location where they had stopped a guy just to see what they were up to. The search seemed to quiet down on Sunday night.
Even though they're also investigating another shooting right now, I heard a lot this weekend about how hard they were working this case in particular.

The victim and her child are both expected to survive, but it takes a special kind of class to shoot a woman who is obviously pregnant. Which begs the question: If police are right, and he would shoot an obviously pregnant woman, do you really want him on the streets of Lowell?

If you know this guy, call the cops, and do it as soon as possible.
Detectives can be reached at (978) 937-3242. Dispatchers can be reached (978) 937-3200.

In case you're wondering how they got the photo, I found a few police log entries that could be this guy. They were for someone with the same name and approximate age anyway. Nothing huge though, just a domestic, and driving without a license, and refusing to give a name to police. The most recent log entry was from January.

Over the last week or so I’ve spoken to quite a few people about Gerry Wayne, the 53-year-old Lowell detective who died April 8 after a battle with cancer.
And I think what I’ve learned is this: I might be glad I never met him.
Detective Wayne, I heard over and over, could be a little “gruff.”
“He was a brutally pointed man,” said Capt. Kelly Richardson, who grew up in the Sacred Heart neighborhood about the same time as Wayne. “If he had something to say, he said it, and if you didn’t know him you’d probably be a little offended.”
Likely not the type of guy some young reporter wants to cross paths with.

But I wasn’t a colleague, family, or a victim of crime.

Gerald A. Wayne was born in Lowell, in the Sacred Heart neighborhood, the third child in his family. He had three sisters and two brothers.
He tried a few other jobs prior to police work. He sold Rainbow vacuum cleaners for a while, and was even a milkman before he went to work for the Department of Corrections.
From there he joined Lowell Police.
One of his sisters, Ellen McDonough, of Lowell, said Wayne even had a dry sense of humor with his family.
“But he always wanted to get to the end of things, and figure things out,” McDonough said. “Underneath the gruff exterior he really liked helping people and doing what he could for you.”
“I think police work was an outlet for that.”

Richardson knew Wayne from Sacred Heart, but didn’t really get to know him until they went through the police academy together in 1987.
Both started out on the overnight shift. Richardson patrolled downtown and Wayne patrolled Centralville. Capt. Jonathan Webb was a street supervisor.
Both men said Wayne was good on the street.
“He could hold his own in a brawl, or whatever, but he also just didn’t get excited,” Webb said. “You couldn’t fluster him. He was dependable, and he would always be right there.”

In 1994, Wayne became a detective. The assignment was a quick fit.
“Usually when you come in you start off on maybe (burglaries), or whatever comes up night to night. It takes a bit before you get into the homicides,” Webb said. “Gerry very quickly became involved in more serious cases. And he became one of our top homicide investigators.”

Richardson got promoted to sergeant, and was assigned to the bureau as a supervisor.
“I walked in on the first day and he kinda smiled and said ‘I’ll have to break you in like I did all the other bosses on this job,’” Richardson said.
Richardson said Wayne would never hesitate to step into his office and vent.
“He wasn’t influenced by what other people thought,” Richardson said. “If he didn’t think something was right, or he thought we should go down a different road he would speak up, which is crucial in an investigation.”
With all his experience, Wayne was often right when he spoke up too.
Detective Linda Coughlin said Wayne had worked every type of case, and when other detectives needed advice, Wayne was a guy they’d seek out.
His experience, Webb said, is something the bureau will miss for years.

Wayne was tenacious. Once he had a case, he would work it relentlessly.
Right up to his last day on the job Wayne still worked one case in particular.
It’s decades old. Police still can’t talk about it because it’s open, but detectives now say it’s “solvable.”
And that’s because of Gerry Wayne.

Another case, that of Ricky Le, who was beaten into a coma during a gang “jumping out” ceremony in 2003, showed Wayne’s dedication.
It was a difficult case. Few people wanted to cooperate, because they were scared, and since Le had been beaten by an entire gang there were about 10 defendants.
But Wayne stuck with it. Several of the gang members were convicted.
“That case was a tough one,” said a former partner, Caz Czarnionka. “But he was able to keep it together.”
He kept in touch with Le’s sister for years.

You see, gruff as Wayne may have been, he took care of people.
He would keep in touch with victims, sometimes even long after a case was over.
That’s where the gruffness disappeared.
“The dedication that he showed toward the victims — it would never stop,” said Czarnionka. “He would never forget anybody.”
“He really cared a lot about victims and families,” Webb said.
That’s who Wayne was to those who knew him.
“He was a marshmallow,” Coughlin said. “He came off very gruff, but really it was all a facade.”
Coughlin said Wayne had a good sense of humor too.
And some quirks.
She and Webb both said Wayne was absolutely convinced that he could figure out the state lottery’s numbers game.
“He had a mathematical theory,” Coughlin said. “He thought one day it would work for him, but he never did figure it out.”
Webb couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It was the one thing that was so out of character,” he said. “Here’s a guy who is your main guy, and he’s talking about lottery numbers. He might as well have started talking about black helicopters.”
To be sure, not everyone got to see those sides of Gerry Wayne.
He was careful about who he let in.
“I was lucky enough that he picked me,” Czarnionka said. “And once you were his friend, you were his friend forever — thick and thin. I had thick times, and who was there? He was there.”
“I went through (expletive deleted). He was there.”

It was the same way with family.
Wayne had been married for about 20 years when his wife, Mildred (Duffy) Wayne, died suddenly in 2004.
His son Eric was already grown, and a member of the Lowell Police Department. But his other son Patrick was still in high school.
“The only thing he was better at than being a cop was being a dad,” Richardson said.
Despite long hours in the bureau — Coughlin said Wayne would stay past midnight if work needed done — Wayne was always there for his son.
His sister, McDonough, said her brother never missed a wrestling meet Patrick had.
“He worked details so Pat could go to whatever school he wanted to,” McDonough said. “Everything he did, he did for his boys.”
Richardson said he watched as Wayne took on both roles at home.
“He’d kick and scream about helping Pat with his homework, but he’d make sure it got done,” Richardson said. “And he was still the same cop. He lost his wife like that, but he just kept marching.”
“I guess what it comes down to is that actions speak louder than words, and he always cared about the people he worked with and the people he was trying to protect.”

Wayne was diagnosed with cancer around Christmas, 2007, McDonough said. A few weeks later he had his kidney removed. Everyone hoped the cancer was gone.
“But it was too late,” McDonough said.
Gerald Wayne passed away on April 8.

I'm chasing a couple stories tonight, but so far I've gotten little new information on either of them.

Pregnant woman shot.

Teenager shot in Lowell. It now sounds like he will survive, though.

The story on Westford Street initially got my attention because I've written about that area many times. It turns out, from what I'm hearing, that the shooting last night had nothing to do with the apartments at 75 Westford St., but it's still an address that might be worth a mention.

First there was Aug. 12, 2006. That's when 21-year-old man was shot to death at a birthday part just down the road on Royal Street. I covered the shooting. It was late at night, there were still birthday streamers hanging up around the Royal Street property, and a lot of people at the scene.
The following afternoon, Billeoum Phan, at just 14-years-old, was arrested for that gang-related murder. He was the youngest accused killer Lowell had seen in years, and he was arrested at 75 Westford St. I snapped a picture of him as he was driven from the scene in the back of Sgt. Joe Murray's cruiser.
Phan was convicted of voluntary manslaughter earlier this year. He'll be in prison until he is 21-years-old, and after that he'll have a 5-year suspended sentence hanging over him to keep him in line.

Now lets skip ahead to April 7, 2007, just a few minutes before midnight.
Vuthavy Phay was playing cards on the second floor of 168 Fletcher St., when a bullet came into the apartment and hit him in the back of the head.
Phay's 16th birthday was April 8, and he lived long enough to spend about four hours of it in the hospital before he died. I covered that murder too. I went to the scene that night. I remember being struck that Phay was probably unconscious for all four of the hours of his birthday that he managed to survive.
David Phin, 22, and his nephew Roth em, 21, were soon charged with Phay's murder. At the time, they both lived at 75 Westford St.
Last month, two more men were charged in that murder. Savong Moun, 23, and Pahath Pheap, 20. All are still awaiting trial.

Last week when the weather got nice, I noticed some kids hanging out on the porch at 75 Westford St. It's a white house across from Armory Park, the porch I'm talking about is set back down a short driveway. It's right next to Tech Heng Auto Body.

I can't remember whether it was late Tuesday or Wednesday night that I was listening to police radio and heard Sgt. David Peaslee, who commands the city's gang unit, call for another gang unit car to come meet him at 75 Westford St.
Peaslee didn't say why.

So then we have Friday night. A little before midnight, shots are fired on Westford Street, and a 17-year-old boy is shot in the adomen between 75 Westford St., and Tech Heng Auto Body. It sounds like he'll survive, but police haven't said much more at this point.
One thing they have said is that this latest shooting doesn't appear to be related to the residents of 75 Westford St. It's nice to hear that, for once.

It's funny how some of these addresses just keep on popping up, though.

According to city GIS listings, 75 Westford St., is owned by the 71/75 Westford St., Realty Trust. It's co-owner is trustee Markos G. Evangelos, of 3 Brentwood Drive, Peabody. The trust bought the property in 2005 for $470,000.

A GMC Envoy crashed pretty hard into a duplex at East Merrimack and Nesmith streets in Lowell about 6:20 p.m.

Here's a link to the breaking news, which covers most of it. There is also video attached to the breaking news. If you follow that link you can watch it.

Both photos are by Tory Germann, not me. (hence the better-than-usual quality).
Neighbors told me the guy appeared to have puked a little and was unconscious when they saw him, but that he didn't smell like alcohol or anything, so they were of the opinion that he probably had some kind of medical condition. I'll be checking that with police once they have their reports finished up.

No one in the house was hurt, but since the power was cut they can't stay there tonight. The Red Cross was on the way to the scene when Ieft.

There was a lot of big news in crime last night and today in other towns, most notably a murder in Boston and an officer who was shot in Framingham.

The Framingham officer is expected to survive, but this sounds pretty bad.

And here is the press release from Jerry Leone's office.

There was also a murder in the Copley Marriot Hotel in Boston, and it sounds like the killer might be a serial robber who finds victims on Craigslist. Here is a surveillance picture of a person of interest in that case.

Here is the Boston Police press release, along with some more surveillance photos.

Anyone recognize him?

Monday night, five gunshots were fired on Grand Street in Lowell and no one called police.

Tuesday night, police got two calls about 11:20 p.m. People heard someone screaming for help behind the Lower Locks Garage, near some trees by the edge of the Concord River.

Officers got there within a minute, heard the screams themselves, and ran to help.

They found a 49-year-old man clinging to branches on the river's edge, his lips already blue from time spent in the water.

Caz Czarnionka, Mindy Dower, Timothy Roussell, Robert Rayne and Christopher Osborn managed to pull the guy up the river bank and to safety. An ambulance and firefighters with a boat were still on the way to the scene.

Trinity ambulance took the guy to a city hospital, still conscious. He told police he had fallen in.

I certainly agree with police that anyone who spent much more time in that water would have soon been dead, especially with how fast the river was moving.

But instead of a drowning, someone called police.

I've got to admit I'm interested in this story even though it's out of our coverage area.

Here's the full press release from Gerry Leone's office.

I lived in Somerville before I moved to Lowell a few years ago, and this woman was found about 100 feet from my favorite pizza place, Mama Gina's, in Union Square.
It's less than a block from where one of my closest friends lives too, and in an area I used to spend a ton of time.

She was found in a parking lot off Webster Avenue, so I'm curious how long she was there. Webster Avenue is extremely busy, as it leads from Union Square to Cambridge Street in Cambridge. (Inman Square area). I'm shocked a dead body could have been in a car there all day Monday and not discovered until 6:30 p.m.

I find it hard to believe someone could have been shot at that location too. It's right across the street from a Catholic school, and a half a block over is Kingman Road, which is all residential. The Somerville Police station is a block away.
Say what you want about Somerville, it's just not an area where I can imagine a gunshot going unreported.

The good news, though, is that all is quiet in Lowell tonight.

Campbell, 48, of Pelham, was apparently a little angry on Tuesday.
Police got two calls from Campbell's neighbors at the Pro Lynn Apartment Complex, 45 Bridge St., by the time Master Patrol Officer Eugene Stahl got there about 1 p.m.
Stahl found Campbell and tried to calm him down.
Police say Campbell responded by threatening to kill his neighbors.
Stahl responded by trying to arrest Campbell for criminal threatening.
Police say Campbell responded by attacking Stahl.

And this is when police say Campbell really went a little berzerk.

Stahl, being attacked, used his Taser on Campbell, but despite the 50,000 volts of electricity a Taser produces, Campbell just grabbed the Taser prongs and ripped them out of his body.

Stahl went a step further and used pepper spray on Campbell.
Police say that didn't help either.

Backup was on the way, though, and eventually a total of five officers were able to physically restrain Campbell, handcuff him, and haul him into the station. He was also charged with assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.
Campbell was cooling his heels behind bars last night, held on $5,000 cash bail. Hopefully he'll be a little more amiable when he appears in Salem District Court on Wednesday morning.

Lt. Gary Fisher said it's not unheard of for someone to overcome a taser, though.
"Some people have the stamina to be able to do it," he said.

I've gotta tell you. Campbell doesn't look like he enjoyed the experience.
Here is the booking photo.

UMass-Lowell spokeswoman Patti McCafferty e-mailed me today to note that the student being held on bail in the assault case from earlier this week, 22-year-old Clayton Dawson, is no longer a student at the University.

Follow this link for a refresher on what he's accused of.

I tried to get a few more details, but McCafferty said she couldn't say more.
"Under privacy laws, I can only say that as of yesterday, he is no longer a student here," McCafferty wrote.

Dawson's still a student in Lowell District Court, though. He's got a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

At least five gunshots were fired from a .25 caliber on Grand Street, near Chelmsford Street, Monday night a little before 8 p.m.
Not a single person called police.

Officers ended up there about 30 minutes later on an unrelated call, and found out a bullet had gone through a window on the first floor of 117 Grand St. Here is the window.

They ended up finding five shell casings in the street, including this one which was under a parked car.

The first-floor residents were uncooperative, so police had no description of the shooter. They ended up finding a bullet hole in a window on the second-floor too. Apparently the other three shots missed the house. Who knows where they ended up.

No arrests were made. Police collected the evidence and suggested the incident was probably gang-related.

I'm sure someone would have called police if only they knew the number. For future reference, it's (978) 937-3200, or maybe even 911 if you witness a shooting.

If people want this kind of thing to stop, they need to call police. The bad guys of the world aren't just going to quit it on their own.

UPDATED ENTRY: John Lipomi, of 123 Ennell St., is in custody in connection with the chase I vaguely posted about this afternoon.

Lt. Barry Golner tracked the vehicle and Lipomi down near his house and arrested Lipomi for assault with a dangerous weapon (handgun) about 6:40 p.m. Police later added charges of kidnapping, failure to stop for police and failure to stop at a stop sign.
Apparently, this all started when a traffic unit tried to stop Lipomi's Blazer for a moving violation. The Blazer took off down Highland Street, blew past the wake for a police detective at McDonough Funeral Home, where someone got a plate number, and then struck another car on Gorham Street.
Police say this is the Blazer Lipomi was driving.

Police arrested Lipomi because two women who were in the Blazer with him when he took off wanted to get out of the car, but he refused to let them out. That led to a kidnapping charge. Police say Lipomi also showed them a handgun tucked into his pants when they asked to get out, which led to the assault charge.
He later let them women out of the Blazer.

Here is video of Lipomi being put in the wagon following his arrest.

So, Monday morning in Billerica, a senior citizen (man in his late 60's, police told me), answered a knock on his front door a little before 8:30 a.m., and found himself face to face with a handgun and a stranger with a mask on his face.
The guy demanded money, got it and fled.
Nearby detail officers got to the scene within 30 seconds and helped secure the scene and keep the scent trail fresh.
Police used a K9 and tracked the suspect to a home nearby. An arrest was made within half an hour. Police say Matt Hill, 23, of 6 Kenilworth St., is charged with armed robbery while masked and home invasion. He is pictured here.

Police say the victim had no idea who Hill was. It was a random assault.
Police also used the Code Red system, which notifies homes in the area about the incident. It was just the second time they used it, I'm told. It's like reverse 911, except it can call way more people all at once since it is setup through a private contractor.
Go here for more information on Code Red.

Bridget Scrimenti did some video on this too.

There is plenty happening on the crime front today and I'm just arriving at the office, so here is a rundown of some of the stories we broke today.

The District Attorney wants former Sen. Marzilli to serve time.
I still remember camping out in front of Lowell PD waiting for Marzilli to walk out once he was bailed, and have shared many comments about this case with a friend from the Herald ever since. It could finally be coming to an end soon.

Hudson, NH police are asking for a little help finding out who this guy is. He's just a person of interest at this point in a burglary on Old Coach Road in which over $30,000 worth of stuff was taken on April 6.
If you think you know who this guy is should call Detective Matt Solari or Detective Sgt. Donna Briggs at (603) 886-6011.
It's an interesting photograph. I'm not sure if a neighbor took it or what.

Here is a little update on that case.

I was surprised by the coverage this got. From what I heard over the weekend everyone and their brother was calling Lowell Police looking to get a report on this. The suspect is held without bail.

A guy fell off the roof at 182 River Road in Lowell Sunday afternoon about 4:30 p.m. He was said to be breathing but not moving. When emergency crews arrived he was conscious and complaining of pain in his lower extremities. The city's GIS system says the house is only one-story tall. Firefighters with Engine 4 called for MedFlight after arriving at the house to help.

Police said the guy was tarring a roof when he fell 8 to 9 feet. No immediate word of life-threatening injuries. I come from a family of roofers, so I've actually had several family members take falls like this.
Here's some video I shot of MedFlight landing and taking off en route to Boston.

This type of assault is pretty rare at the university. I can't remember anything like it in my years on the crime beat.

Student attacks another student.

In case you're wondering, attempted murder charges are almost automatic as soon as you start choking someone by putting your hands on their neck. I've seen attempted murder cases in which the victim wasn't even hospitalized, but the charge was still brought because of the attempt to strangle.

The aggravated assault and battery charge makes it sound like more was entailed here, though, because that charge usually requires a significant degree of injury.

I was at home when I got the Lowell Police press release identifying the man killed at the substation in Lowell yesterday. Read all about it here.

About one second after reading Ren's home address I realized who he was though.

He had been charged, though I'm told he wasn't the shooter, with attempted murder in connection with a Sept. 28 shooting right outside of his house. Ngy "Dreamer'' Meak, 31, of Lowell, was hit by a shotgun blast on Mary Theresa Terrace on Sept. 28 during a fight outside of a party about 4 a.m. Meak was taken to Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston but soon recovered.

Ren was arrested almost immediately and charged with armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery. He was initially held, but later released on bail. It wasn't until early February that police arrested Michael Vangpa, of 50 Pine St., Unit 22, on a warrant charging him with armed assault with intent to murder in connection with the same incident. Police said Vangpa was the shooter, but that Ren was still charged for his participation, which was never described to me in detail.

I also wrote about the tire theft arrests that Ren was apparently fleeing from. You can read that story here if you forget.

Superintendent Lavallee told me there had been several similar thefts around the city recently, but police only had enough evidence to charge these guys with the one they were caught in the act of.

Unlike the newspaper's main website, I have to approve all comments on this blog. I'm going to go ahead and tell you right now that I won't be approving any comments that are out of line on this. This kid is dead, and that's the end of this story. We have an obligation to report on who this kid was, but I won't approve comments that are tasteless.

Here's our video on the death. This one wasn't shot by me.

There have been a lot of robbery surveillance pictures lately, but today we're going to back to the very first bank robbery to grace the pages of this blog.

Here are two new angles on the guy who held up Enterprise Bank, 430 Gorham St., back on March 24.

Police already released a very clear photo of him taking the cash over the counter, but today sent me these, which show the guy's face even more.

Here are the previous-released photos too, just so you don't have to search for them.

If anyone knows who this guy call Lowell police at (978) 937-3200 or Crimestoppers at (978) 459-TIPS (8477). If you call Crimestoppers with a name you can stay anonymous, but they'll assign you a number. If the name or information you provide leads police to an arrest, you'll be able to go to a local bank, provide only that number, and claim up to $1,000. It won't be robbery. But you'll still walk away with plenty of cash.

The Sun's data page carries a nifty search tool for FBI Uniform Crime Statistics. Click here

There's a lag; the most current stats are from almost a year ago. And the data only covers larger cities, such as Lowell and Nashua. But it's worth puttering around if you are interested.

Lowell PD's criminal bureau caught up with one accused bank robber today, and an hour later released some photos of yet another one that's on the loose.

This guy held up the Enterprise Bank on Gorham Street Saturday morning. No weapon shown, he just passed a note and took off. He's not to be confused with the skinnier guy who held up the same bank in late March.

If you know who this guy is, or the guy in the other bank robbery post from a while back, call (978) 937-3200, or Crimestoppers. If you call Crimestoppers, not only can you stay anonymous, but a number you are assigned when you give your tip can help you get up to $1,000 if your information leads detectives to an arrest.

Here's a breaking news story on a guy that got lost in a swamp near Lost Lake in Groton Tuesday night.

And here's some video I grabbed at the scene, including Police Chief Palma explaining what happened.

It occurred to me that this was a good reminder. Even if police are after you, or want to arrest you, they'll still do everything they can to make sure you're okay.
I thought of officers providing first aid within seconds after firing their guns in instances where they're forced to shoot people, of a case in Lowell last year where a suspect in a business break fell into an ice-covered canal, and other incidents.
No matter how much trouble you're in, the badge means they'll do everything they can to save you if you need saving, even if they plan to handcuff you once you're safe. I wouldn't want to freeze to death just to avoid arrest.

Police say she is now behind bars.

Detectives got a warrant and arrested Angelique Johnson, 29, of Lowell, out on Newton Avenue in Dracut on Tuesday afternoon about 6 p.m.
Detectives told me all along that they thought the blonde hair was a wig, and it looks like they might have been right.
Johnson had red hair when arrested yesterday.

She is charged with unarmed robbery in connection with the March 26 robbery at TD BankNorth, 350 Westford St., Lowell.

You'd better study. This too could help.

LOWELL — The City of Lowell, in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Human Resources Division, will be holding a test orientation seminar for applicants who have signed up to take the April 25 police officer examination. The seminar will be held on Thurs., April 16 from 6-8 p.m. in the Mayor’s Reception Room, second floor at Lowell City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street. Representatives at the seminar will provide applicants with an overview of the exam process. For more information contact Mary Callery, 978-970-4105 or Ken Gavin, 617-878-9750.

Here is a breaking news story on the fire at 225 C. St., Dracut, early Monday morning.

Very little information was available since my deadline was 1 a.m. I stayed at the fire scene until 12:45 and then rushed back to the office.
Here is a short video though.

Watch for a follow up story in Wednesday's paper.

There was a pretty bad car accident on the Ouellette Bridge on Aiken Street Sunday night about 11:20 p.m. A black sedan rear-ended a Nissan sedan, causing pretty serious damage and sending an 18-year-old Lowell girl to the hospital.
Police arrived, but the only description available of the car that fled was that it was a black sedan. The amount of damage to the Nissan made it clear the black sedan would have heavy front-end damage.

Officer Jason Levasseur soon picked up a piece of black debris, though, and noticed a Volvo logo.

Then he noticed a trail of anti-freeze.

While another unit handled the accident scene, Levasseur followed the trail of anti-freeze across VFW Highway, up Aiken Avenue, and into a secluded parking lot at the rear of 169 Aiken Ave., just below the Hildreth Street cemetery.
In that lot was a black Volvo sedan, it's front end demolished, its airbags deployed, and a middle-finger-shaped air freshioner hanging from the rear view mirror.

Levasseur had the car towed, but police were still looking for its driver early Monday morning.

He is described as a white male in his late 20's, wearing tan pants and a white T-shirt. Residents of the area near where he parked told police the man was limping. Police had his license plate number though, and his address, which is in the building where the car was parked.

I had to run off to a 3-alarm fire in Dracut while officers were still looking for him, so as I write this I still haven't been able to find out what police plan to do.

Adam Leroy Lane and the McDonough family, of Chelmsford, are still making headlines following Lane's arrest in a violent home invasion in Chelmsford in 2007, and subsequent arrest in some more incidents in Pennsylvania.

This time, Lane, and the story of how the McDonough family stopped him, are in the Los Angeles Times.

The Times scored a very good story about an FBI database that tracks murders and other incidents near highways, in an effort to find trends, and connections between the crimes.

The story is a little long, but well worth the time.

There are thousands upon thousands of extremely hard-working and law-abiding truckers in this country, and I hope this doesn't reflect too poorly on them, but it is a very interesting subject nonetheless.

UPDATE: The FBI did a formal release about this program today.
Go here to read all about it.

So far I don't know of any other local cases it would apply too, but I'm checking on that. I might not write about it further unless I find some local cases. If you know of any leave a comment. I'd love it if this blog helped me develop more sources within the community.

...you actually see cars parked on the street on milk crates, since all four wheels have been stolen.

Lowell Police made a real nice arrest here.

I hadn't heard about this trend until today, but it seems to show how far people will go these days to swipe themselves something of value. I also saw some poor, out of town, girl in the police station today picking up a report on her GPS unit being stolen.

Remember not to leave valuables in your vehicles folks. It just invites trouble, and if someone smashes your window to get inside, you'll have an insurance deductable.

A 19 to 20-year-old guy was shot outside a party at Walker and Branch street right before Midnight Saturday. Radio broadcasts suggested someone tried to put him in a car too, but I don't know if that were friends or the bad guys.

Police found him on a curb with an apparent gunshot wound near his knee. He was conscious at the scene, but he didn't seem to be talking a ton.

A neighbor told me there are problems at that house, and that there had been a fight there on Friday about 4 p.m.

Police couldn't say much at the scene because everything was too fresh and they were still very busy. It didn't look like a life-threatening wound though.

Here's video of the victim being carted off by medics.

No one was saying anything about this arrest this weekend, but I think it's interesting.

http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_12073162

My daily commute to work takes me over the Cox Bridge on Bridge Street, and I noticed a few times recently that the river seems to be flowing pretty heavy. Have no fear though, forecasts call for no flooding.

I've covered two floods in Lowell, and got very, very sick from covering the big one, so I consider this a potential spot news topic.

If you want to check out the forecast for the Merrimack River in Lowell from the National Weather Service and NOAA just go here.

And if you want to check out forecasts for any river in the region, or the Merrimack at other points in its journey Go here.

Enterprise Bank at 430 Gorham St., right by the end of the Connector, got robbed again Saturday morning. It was the city's third bank robbery in two weeks, and it comes on the heels of some heists down in Boston that made big headlines too. One of the Boston heists got the suspects $200,000, though they were in handcuffs within about 24 hours.
That's a much bigger take than I've ever heard of anyone getting in a bank robbery.

Police aren't saying how much was stolen from Enterprise on Saturday, but here's how it went down.
About 10:15 a.m., a heavyset white guy in his 30's walks into the bank, passes a teller a note. He shows no weapon, but gets away with the cash and runs up South Highland Street.
He wore a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a blue sweatshirt, and had light facial hair.

No photos released of him yet, but I'll be chasing one.

In case you missed em, here are pictures of the other two recent bank robbers from Lowell.

March 26, TD BankNorth, 350 Westford St. Police think the hair might be a wig.

If you know who any of these people are, call (978) 937-3200, or Crimestoppers. If you call Crimestoppers, not only can you stay anonymous, but a number you are assigned when you give your tip can help you get up to $1,000 if your information leads detectives to an arrest.
Who in this economy couldn't use an extra thousand dollars, obtained legally, by helping police?

Lowell detectives today were saying the investigation into the Jan. 11, 2008
murder of Timothy Stairs was straight out of a dime store novel. The case
was full of twists and turns. There was a group of four who were taking
responsibility for the stabbing who really had no connection to it - one guy
even wore the same clothing - and so cops had to sort through that mess
before making their arrests.
Now four people will be behind bars.

Read the story here.

Somewhere in Middlesex County, State Police will be conducting another “Sobriety Checkpoint.”
As usual, they aren't saying where, lest people reroute their travel plans after last call....

Mad about a 20-year-old parking ticket? Take it out on the nearest statue....

http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_12062923

Not much went on in Lowell tonight. Police are still looking for a Silver Dodge Charger with Pennsylvania plates in connection with a possible home invasion in Lawrence a few days ago. They thought they might have had it earlier tonight, but the plate number didn't match up.
Call police if you see it.

Also, a guy that I'm told is a Lowell High School graduate, Ricky Underwood, 21, dove into a pool at Club Fitness, 80 MIddlesex St., and pulled out a 33-year-old man who had gone underwater, and was found motionless at the bottom of the deep end about 8 p.m.
Diving in to help might have been human nature, but Underwood also performed CPR on the guy and got him breathing again. When police arrived, the 33-year-old was sitting on the side of the pool with underwood. He's expected to be fine.

The 33-year-old, who police didn't identify, was at the gym with his 4-year-old child.

Police called Underwood a hero. I bet that 4-year-old kid who still has a dad would pretty readily agree.