Seagull rescued from atop church
Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesserknown — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our communities.
BIRD SAVED IN LYNN
A seagull got trapped on top of St. Pius V church in Lynn in late March. Passersby were horrified to see the gull struggling with its wing impaled on lightning rod on the church’s roof. We’re not sure how long the bird was up there, but on March 29 — Good Friday — firefighters used a bucket truck to rescue it. They removed the spike from its wing and brought it back down to the ground, and veteran news photojournalist Stanley Forman was there, capturing the whole ordeal on video. The firefighters “did a great job,” he wrote.
The juvenile herring gull — who was given the nickname “Spike,” naturally — was taken to Cape Ann Wildlife to be examined and treated. The animal rescue group shared photos of the seagull with a bandage on her wing, and reported that she was doing well. “X-rays were all good, wound cleaned and stitched. She is resting and recuperating comfortably,” the group’s Facebook post said. “She will be with us for a while.”
FIDDLE FILCHING
Two Harvard University students were accused of trying to steal a fiddle from a local musician at The Burren in Somerville last month. According to the Harvard Crimson, the musician filed a criminal complaint against the students for the attempted theft of his instrument, which he estimated to be worth between $2,500 and $3,045. The Crimson reported that one witness thought the students were “professional pickpockets,” and another witness said “they just swiped the fiddle off of the table” at the Davis Square pub. Somerville police said the attempted larceny occurred March 21. “The two female suspects left the pub with the violin and were confronted outside ... where they returned the violin and left the area,” police said in an emailed statement to the Globe. “This matter is currently being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Somerville Police Department.”
PRESCRIPTION PILLS? PHOOEY!
At 4 p.m. March 20, Peabody police were dispatched to the CVS pharmacy at 79 Lynnfield St. after an employee called and said she had been assaulted by a disgruntled customer who threw her prescription at her. Police reported that the “customer is very argumentative and refusing to leave the store” and the employee did not wish to press any charges. Police documented the incident.
NINJAS AT WORK
Police are trying to track down the thieves who recently stole a front grill and trunk lip from a Mercedes sedan in the parking garage at 32 Second Ave. in Burlington. They even tried to steal the tires off the car, according to police. They also absconded with a Yamaha golf cart from an apartment complex. The culprits were dressed in black and used hoods and masks to obscure their faces, and they were driving a gray GMC Sierra pickup truck with a rear Massachusetts plate. Anyone with information that could help the investigation is urged to contact Officer Brian Goggin at bgoggin@bpd.org.