Man in court for 5 felonies
FITCHBURG » A city man who racked up seven charges for various alleged crimes over a period of several months, including five felonies, was in district court Wednesday for a pretrial hearing, according to court and police documents.
Randall H. Mierzejewski, 56, of East Street, was first arrested on May 11 after police were contacted about a man who had torn a change machine off a wall at a Water Street laundry business, the responding officer reported.
When police arrived, Mierzejewski was sitting on a bench in front of Keep It Clean Laundry Express and matched the description of the person who had damaged the change machine, the officer reported.
Mierzejewski was asked by the officer if he was involved and he said no, but the officer could clearly see fresh drywall dust on his pants and sneakers.
The officer then spoke with a witness who said she saw Mierzejewski tampering with the change machine and once pulling it from the wall, placing it in a laundry cart.
When the officer checked the businesses premises, he found a rear door had been forced open, as well the door leading to a small room where the back of the change machine could be accessed, the officer reported.
The officer also found a backpack, that Mierzejewski said was his, containing a hammer and a pry bar, both covered with drywall residue, the officer reported.
A video surveillance clearly showed that a man fitting the description of Mierzejewski ripped the machine from the wall, the officer reported.
Mierzejewski was placed under arrest and charged with vandalizing property, breaking into a depository, felony breaking and entering and possession of burglarious instruments, according to court documents.
When arraigned on May 11, Mierzejewski, who pleaded not guilty, was ordered held in lieu of $1,000 or $10,000 surety bond and ordered to return to court on June 11 for a pretrial hearing, according to court documents.
Eleven days later, Mierzejewski was identified by a Lunenburg Police officer as the suspect in a May 6 shoplifting incident at the Hannaford grocery store on Mass. Avenue in Lunenburg.
Mierzejewski, who had been summonsed to court, used a false name when charged with shoplifting over $200 in steaks and alcohol, police stated in their report.
He was charged with second offense shoplifting and obstruction of justice and arraigned on June 11, pleading not guilty, but was ordered held for 90 days without bail for violating the terms of his probation for the felony breaking and entering charge at the laundry business, according to court documents.
While in custody at the Worcester House of Correction, it was determined that Mierzejewski had allegedly broken into a work truck at a business at 11 Summit St. in Fitchburg in April and while nothing was stolen from the truck, a leaf blower was stolen from the back of another truck, according to police.
He was arraigned on a single felony charge of breaking and entering for allegedly stealing the leaf blower on July 28, according to court documents.
On Wednesday, he returned to district court for a pretrial hearing on all of the charges.
Court documents did not indicate when he would return to court again.