Police and Fire News

B&E suspects arrested with drugs; Suspicious device in Harwich; Route 6 off-ramp rollover; Falmouth school buses vandalized

B&E suspects captured with drugs in Centerville
One suspect involved in flat screen thefts last week

     ^{Several BPD cruisers pulled over a vehicle wanted for an alleged B&E and discovered drugs inside it.}
CENTERVILLE - At about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Barnstable Police were investigating a residential breaking and entering in the Centerville area when a white car fitting a suspect description was spotted on Route 28. Several cruisers pulled the Dodge Stratus over in the Mobil station on Route 28 at Old Stage Road. Inside, they reportedly found three males and a quantity of drugs that they were allegedly dealing. One of the suspects is no stranger to the law. 19-year-old Jeremy Robinson of Hyannis was also involved in the theft of the 6 flat screen TVs, DVD and CD players that were found stashed in a vacant home at 990 West Main Street last week. Robinson was charged with breaking and entering, possession of Class D (marijuana), and possession of a narcotic without a prescription. 18-year-old Marlon Johnson of Hyannis was charged with possession of Class D, possession of class B (cocaine) with intent to distribute, and possession of OxyContin with intent to distribute, 18-year-old Jason Webster of Centerville was charged with possession of class D (subsquent offense), possession of a narcotic without a prescription and operating after his license was suspended. The three were scheduled to be arraigned in Barnstable District Court Wednesday morning. Story and photos by Frank Paparo.

Suspicious device in Harwich

     ^{Smoke rises after the bomb squad detonated a flare at the landfill in Harwich.}
HARWICH - Around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday Harwich fire officials were called to a home on Dexter Avenue for a suspicious device that was unearthed by tree removal workmen. The State Police Bomb squad was called to the home where they determined it to be a old phosphorus flare the same kind that was found on Surf Drive Beach, Falmouth last Wednesday. The phosphorus flare was not explosive, but could produce smoke and flame when exposed to air. The State Police technicians (right) placed the object in a bucket and transported it to the Harwich landfill where it was successfully detonated. Harwich firefighters stood by until the device was exploded. Story and photos by Jake O'Callaghan.

Rollover on Exit 6 ramp off Route 6 in Barnstable

BARNSTABLE - At 10 a.m. Tuesday Barnstable Rescue, the Massachusetts State Police and the Barnstable Police Department responded to a call of a car that was exiting Route 6 on the westbound off ramp to Route 132 when it went out of control  and rolled down the embankment. The Barnstable Fire Department had to use the Jaws of Life to free 61-year-old Toni Caputo of Wellfleet from the vehicle. 

A Medflight helicopter had to land on Route 6 west near the crash.  State Police blocked traffic resulting in a  ½ mile backup before  the helicopter could leave the scene. (see photo below). Caputo was flown to Brigham & Women's hospital in Boston. The cause of the crash is under investigation by State Police. Click scene picture (right) to enlarge.
Story and photos by Frank Paparo.

Falmouth school buses vandalized, school closed

    ^{All of the front tires on Falmouth School buses were flattened and valve stems were cut overnight.}
FALMOUTH - At 7 a.m. Tuesday we learned parents received an automated call from Falmouth School Superintendent Dennis Richards that the town of Falmouth School buses had been vandalized (tires, valve stems) and that school had been cancelled. According to Falmouth Police, the buses were parked at the facility on Thomas B. Landers Road and were discovered with all of the front tires flattened and the valve stems cut off. The incident comes after someone put glue in locks at the school and wrapped chains across doors yesterday. Both incidents are under investigation and Falmouth Police ask anyone with information to contact them at (508) 457-2527. According to CWN's Eric Tinglof, Upper Cape Regional Technical High School buses were affected as well. Photos by Eric Tinglof.

Editors note: Many readers contacted me regarding the outage yesterday and a few hiccups today. This is a good time to remind you that Cape Wide News has a backup site on my Comcast pages. In case of any extended server outage and breaking news event CWN can be reached here. You might want to bookmark the alternate site-TC