Archive for April, 2012

The Lowell Police Department, Lowell General Hospital, Greater Lowell Health Alliance, Target, CARSTAR, SafeKids of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Program will be hosting a Child Passenger Safety Checkpoint Event at TARGET on Plain Street from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, 4-28-12 where parents can, at no cost, have their child’s car seats checked and installed correctly by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians. LGH and the GLHA service Lowell as well as Chelmsford, Billerica, Tyngsboro, Dracut and Westford. The side parking lot of TARGET will be used for the event and some equipment such as orange barrels and A-Frames may be left outside overnight in preparation. A large turnout of vehicles may affect vehicle traffic in the TARGET parking lot as well as out on Plain Street.

Press Release from the Middlesex District Attorney’s office:

Lowell Man Convicted of Murder in 2009 Lowell Double-Homicide

 

LOWELL – A Lowell man has been found guilty on two counts of murder in connection with the October 23, 2009 shooting death of two brothers in Lowell, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today.

 

Ariel Hernandez, 24, of Lowell, was found guilty today by a Lowell Superior Court jury on charges of first degree murder (2 counts), armed robbery (2 counts), and armed home invasion.  Lowell Superior Court Judge Thomas Billings presided over the trial.  A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

Two additional defendants who were also on trial were found not guilty.  Karon McDougal, 30, of Lowell, was found not guilty on charges of murder in the first degree (2 counts) and home invasion and Jamal McDougal, 28, of Lowell, was found not guilty of murder in the first degree (2 counts), possession of a firearm without a FID card, and home invasion.

 

“The murders of Luis and Hector Delgado were deliberate, premeditated acts in which Ariel Hernandez planned and executed an armed robbery and personally carried out the fatal shooting of the two brothers,” District Attorney Leone said.  “The defendant’s brazen and reckless use of a firearm resulted in a family losing two loved ones, leaving their lives forever altered.  While we understood that the cases against the co-defendants were difficult to prove because they were not identified as shooters, we are disappointed that the co-defendants were not also found guilty as being legally responsible for the murders as joint venturers.”

 

Two additional defendants remain charged in connection with the murders and their cases are still pending.  Timothy Brown, 24, of Lowell, was charged with murder in the first degree (2 counts), home invasion, and possession of a firearm without a FID card (2 counts).  His next court date is April 26 for a trial assignment.  Joshua Silva, 25, of Lowell, was charged with murder in the first degree (2 counts) and home invasion.

 

According to authorities, at approximately 1:35 a.m. on October 23, 2009, Lowell Police responded to reports of a possible home invasion at 7 Marshall Terrace in Lowell.  Upon arrival, authorities were informed that someone had been shot.   When police officers entered the home, they found two brothers, Luis Delgado, 34, of Lowell and Hector Delgado, 37, both of Lowell, evidencing obvious gunshot wounds.  The two victims were transported to local hospitals where they were pronounced dead.

 

Lowell Police and State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office conducted an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the victims’ deaths.

 

Based on that investigation, authorities determined that on the evening of October 22, 2009, Hernandez was present at Brown’s apartment.  At the apartment, Hernandez developed a plan to rob a resident at 7 Marshall Street in Lowell.  Authorities determined that Hernandez, armed with a firearm, and Silva allegedly dressed in hooded sweatshirts and left Brown’s apartment.

 

Once at 7 Marshall Street, a male inside the residence opened the door and Hernandez physically assaulted him and tacked him to the ground.  Shortly after, Hernandez shot the two victims who were inside the residence at 7 Marshall Street.

 

Hernandez and Brown were arrested on December 16, 2009 and arraigned on December 17, 2009 in Lowell District Court, where they were ordered held without bail.

 

Silva was arrested and arraigned on December 16, 2009 in Lowell District Court and ordered held without bail.

 

The defendants were indicted by a Middlesex County grand jury on December 22, 2009.  Hernandez, Brown, and Silva were arraigned on January 7, 2010 where they were all ordered held without bail.

 

The prosecutors assigned to this case are Assistant District Attorney Cara Krysil and Assistant District Attorney David Solet.  The Victim Witness Advocates are Dora Quiroz and Kathleen Keefe.  This case was investigated by Lowell Police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

The LPD’s 2011 Annual Report is now available on our website: www.lowellpolice.com

On the morning of the 04/01 one of the large planters outside the Enterprise bank was damaged. These videos show the subjects involved.

enterprise_bank

enterprise_bank2

Crime Stoppers will pay for information leading to the arrest of the subjects responsible for this crime.

WE DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME, JUST WHAT YOU KNOW.

ALL CALLERS REMAIN ANONYMOUS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CALL 978-459-8477

YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED A CODE NUMBER.

IF THE TIP RESULTS IN AN ARREST, THE TIPSTER PRESENTS THE CODE NUMBER TO A DESIGNATED BANK AND IS PAID A CASH REWARD.

LOWELL HEALTH DEPARTMENT

  PRESS RELEASE

March 26, 2012

Contact: Yvette Perron, 978-674-1064, YPerron@lowell.ma.gov

Maria Ruggiero, 978-674-1054, MRuggiero@lowell.ma.gov

 Who Has Access To Your Medicine Cabinet?

Lowell Police Department Has an Unwanted Medication Kiosk Assessable 24/7

 

LOWELL, MASS- Lowell Police and Health Department have joined forces to give the community an accessible and easy method to dispose of unwanted medications.

The kiosk is locked and secured in the Lowell Police Department, 50 Arcand Drive.  There is a slot in the front of the kiosk, where the unwanted medication can be placed. Citizens should remove the pills from the bottles and seal the medications into a “ZipLock” (Tm) type plastic sandwich size bag, before arriving at the Lowell Police Department. Containers, liquids and needles are not accepted. There are alternative methods of disposing liquids and sharps. It is suggested that you use tape on the seal to make sure the bag remains closed. The Police Department will not have the required supplies available. Packaging the medications in the lobby will not be allowed. The pills should be ready for immediate disposal into the kiosk upon arrival at the station lobby.

According to Chief Kenneth Lavallee in his press release “Lowell’s Clear and Present Danger” in October 2009, Lavalle states:

“This is a very important initiative that will allow families to decrease the ways youth can obtain prescription drugs.  Your own medicine cabinet is often the source for the prescription pills that young people obtain.  You can help protect the people you love by disposing of your unwanted prescription drugs properly.  Old medications expire and are often forgotten.  These drugs remain in medicine cabinets, drawers or on counter tops where anyone, including teens and children, can take and subsequently ingest them”.

It is important that individuals properly dispose of unwanted medications. Flushing or washing medications down the sink contaminates the drinking and water supply. Drug residue has been found in local lakes and rivers.

There has been a significant rise in opioid related death in Massachusetts in the past 10 years. Opioids are pain killers such as Percocet, OxyContin, Fentanyl, Methadone, Vicodin, etc.  Every nineteen minutes an individual in the United States dies due to an accidental opioid overdose. In Massachusetts, opioids contribute to two people deaths per day. Many neighboring communities also have unwanted medication kiosks in their local police departments. Substance abuse is an economic, social, and health problem. These kiosks are one of many attempts to decrease rising rates of opioid misuse, abuse, and fatal overdose.

 

Work Cite

Lavallee, Kenneth. “Lowell’s Clear and Present Danger”. 2. 2009.

Update from the LPD’s Safety Officer regarding fraudulent phone calls targeting elders.

“Grandma, it’s me. I need help”

Criminals are currently targeting seniors with a phone scam that often begins with those heart-tugging words. The caller claims to be a person’s grandson or granddaughter.

There are several variations of the scam, but most follow a formula:

- The caller is a grandchild in trouble, often in a foreign country.

- The caller begs the grandparent not to tell his or her parents.

- The caller is being held by law enforcement.

- The caller needs bail money to get back home.

- The money must be wired to a foreign location.

Many seniors have already been victimized by this scam. They have lost tens of thousands of dollars to criminals preying on their emotions. Don’t be the next victim.

What can you do?

- Never wire money to someone you don’t know.

- Check out the story.

- If you suspect you have been the victim of a scam, call the Lowell Police Department – 978-937-3200.

Paul G. Corcoran