City man arraigned in home invasion
A Fitchburg man has been charged in a year-old home invasion case.
FITCHBURG » Nearly a year after having a warrant issued for the arrest of a city man on several charges related to a home invasion, the man was arraigned Monday in district court, according to police and court documents.
Last Jan. 24, Japan Anderson, 22, of Highview Street, entered a Krysiak Avenue residence while masked and armed with a handgun and confronted
a 67-year-old woman, grabbing her and the forcing her violently to the floor, the woman told police at the time.
Anderson then walked through the residence and approached another resident and placed the handgun against his head and ordered him to take him where the “weed” was, the victim told police at the time.
The victim that was taken to his room by Anderson told police he thought he knew why.
The victim told police that the day before he had posted on a social media site a photograph of him holding two ounces of marijuana.
He also told police he knew Anderson and that he had seen his face when he briefly pulled up the mask, according to original reporting.
While inside the residence, Anderson grabbed the marijuana, a laptop computer, a gold chain with a diamond pendant and a pair of size 11 Nike Air
Max sneakers, and while trying to leave with the items walked into a 60-year-old occupant of the residence who was coming home from work, police said.
When Anderson confronted the 60-year-old man, Anderson struck him in the head with the handgun causing a head laceration, police said.
When Anderson’s warrant for his arrest was originally reported by police in early February, the victims told officers that in addition to Anderson, two other men stormed into the residence.
The other two men grabbed the two victims that were watching television and threw them to the floor, according to the original police report on the incident.
When one of the victims on the floor began fighting back, one of the men pulled out a silver handgun, pointed it at him and said: “Don’t turn this into a murder,” according to the original police report.
In the most recent police report on the incident, Anderson was the only suspect listed and it did not include the two other
suspects.
On Monday, Anderson, who pleaded not guilty, was formally charged with home invasion, assault and battery on a person 60 or older, assault on a person 60 or over, and armed and masked robbery, according to court documents.
While Anderson is currently in custody at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility for an unrelated incident, he will be held there until a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Jan. 13, according to court documents.
Three charged with attacking elderly man with baseball bat, bottle and handgun
FITCHBURG » Police arrested two women and one man Thursday after they violently beat a 78-year-old inside a Cadillac, according to police and court documents.
While the motive for the attack was not included in the police report, officers arrested Jennifer Galante, 35, of Prescott Street, Worcester, Kassandra M
Franklin, 32, of Heywood Street, Fitchburg and Ricardo Diaz, 36, of Mt. Vernon Street, Fitchburg, police said.
Police said Diaz attacked the victim with a handgun, striking him in the face and head causing injury.
The extent of the victim’s injuries was not included in the police report.
Police also said Franklin and Galante struck the victim with a bottle and baseball bat.
When the three were arrested, Diaz was found to be carrying a handgun with its serial number defaced, police said.
Galante was found carrying enough fentanyl and cocaine to be charged with trafficking when arrested, police said.
As a result of the incident, all three were charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a person over 60 with injury, according to court documents.
Diaz was also charged with possession of a firearm during a felony and defacing a firearm’s serial number, according to court documents.
Galante was also charged with trafficking more than 10 grams of fentanyl and trafficking more than 18 and less than 36 grams of cocaine, according to court documents.
When arraigned on Monday, Galante, who pleaded not guilty, was ordered held in lieu of posting a $2,500 cash bail or $250,000 surety bond, according to court documents.
A spokesman with the Western Massachusetts Regional Center in Chicopee said Tuesday Galante was not in custody.
Diaz, who pleaded not guilty during the arraignment, was ordered held pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Thursday, according to court documents.
Franklin, who also pleaded not guilty, was ordered held in lieu of posting a $1,500 cash bail or $15,000 surety bond, according to court documents.
A spokesman with the Western Massachusetts Regional Center in Chicopee said Tuesday Franklin was in custody.
Franklin and Galante will return to court for a pre-trial hearing on Feb. 2.