BRISTOL — On Jan. 9 at 6:48 p.m., a Bristol police officer was attempting to locate a subject to serve legal papers, when he knocked on the door of an apartment in Bristol.
When a woman opened the door, the officer noticed a strong odor consistent with that of burnt or burning marijuana emitting from within the residence. The officer investigated and said he found that the woman, identified as Fran Meehan, 39, indeed had marijuana in the apartment, so the officer cited Meehan for possession of marijuana.
The officer’s investigation also revealed the subject of the paper service lived in the apartment next to Meehan. That paper service was made later.
Bristol police have been catching up on the log. In other activity during the first few months of this year, Bristol police:
•  On Jan. 8, along with a Department of Children and Families official, interviewed a boy at Bristol Elementary School after the boy disclosed being injured by his father. The incident was found to have occurred in Middlebury and followup was conducted by an investigator from the Addison County Unit for Special Investigations, which revealed the injury was accidental.
•  On Jan. 8 at 9:41 p.m. went to a School Street residence to investigate a reported drug-related incident. Police found evidence that a 17-year-old in the house had been smoking marijuana. Court action is pending.
•  On Jan. 8 at 11:45 p.m. cited Raechel Carver Schuldenrein, 21, of Lincoln for driving with a criminally suspended driver’s license.
•  On Jan. 10 at 6:31 p.m. were called to a report of a domestic assault at an East Street residence. According to the police report, during a dispute a woman refused to open a door and a man kicked the door in, smashing it into several pieces. She told police that the man then came at her and started hitting her in the head, and she raised her arms and hands up to defend herself. She also told police he grabbed her by the hair, put her down onto the floor, and hit her again several times. She then got away from him and called police.
Police said her injuries included a swollen upper lip with bruising on the inside and a small cut on a finger on her right hand. The officer noted the victim’s three-year-old daughter was in the main room and likely witnessed the altercation after leaving the bedroom. Police arrested Frank C. Meehan, 36, of Bristol — who was found to have a prior domestic assault conviction from Jan. 15, 2003, and a prior second-degree domestic assault conviction from Sept. 25, 2009 — and lodged him for lack of bail. He was charged with aggravated domestic assault.
•  On Jan. 12 received a report that a male teenager was injured while getting out of a friend’s vehicle. Investigation is ongoing.
•  On Jan. 14 received a report from Maplefields that someone had driven away without paying for $68.35 in gasoline on Jan. 8. There was insufficient evidence to identify a suspect. A review of video footage showed a green, four-door vehicle parked at pump six, but police could not read the license plate or identify the driver from the video. However, a suspect has been developed through a separate investigation into a theft at Shaw’s, and police said action is pending.
•  On Jan. 15 at 4:55 p.m. arrested Patrick J. Eason, 31, on an outstanding warrant when he was observed and recognized driving a 1999 Volvo S70 on the Lincoln Road. He was turned over to Middlebury police, who had issued the warrant.
•  On Jan. 16 at 7:41 p.m. cited Joshua R. Martell, 27, for driving with a criminally suspended license when an officer recognized him driving a white Subaru Impreza.
•  On Jan. 17 at 10:05 a.m. ordered a Bristol 17-year-old to leave Mount Abraham Union High School because he was in violation of a no-trespass order.
•  On Jan. 17 at 1:45 p.m. a Bristol police officer entered Champlain Farms to purchase a coffee while on duty and in uniform. A store employee asked the officer to look at the ID she had been given by a woman attempting to purchase alcohol, and the officer determined the ID was fake. The officer issued the 18-year-old woman, identified as a Middlebury College student, a ticket for use of a fictitious driver’s license and Court Diversion paperwork.
•  On Jan. 17 at 1:51 p.m. received a report of a fight at a police district home. Police cited a local 17-year-old young man for domestic assault on his father. The teen was released with conditions that he not go home or approach his father.
•  On Jan. 17 at 9:01 p.m. were told of a fight involving four people at the Kountry Trailer Park. A vehicle was damaged by one of the parties, but the vehicle owner did not want to take any legal action.
•  On Jan. 19 at 5:26 p.m. were dispatched to Champlain Farms, where two males, later identified as Middlebury College students, had attempted to purchase alcohol with fake IDs. Both had left the store but left their IDs behind. Both subjects were mailed tickets and Court Diversion paperwork.
•  On Jan. 21 issued a notice against trespass at Mount Abe to a former student who had been on campus, refusing to leave and harassing staff.
•  On Jan. 23 at 2:51 p.m. received a complaint from the National Bank of Middlebury. Police said their investigation revealed that Barrett LaRose, 29, of Starksboro had processed a deposit at the bank’s ATM that day. He indicated the deposit envelope contained $150 and then immediately withdrew $100. When the receipts from the ATM were tabulated no check or cash was located in the envelope, only a note from LaRose stating that he had forgotten his check and “needed money.”
Police told LaRose he had committed fraud and should correct the matter before the end of the business day, but when LaRose failed to return to resolve it and could not be located a warrant application was prepared. Police located him before that warrant application was filed and police cited him for false pretenses.
•  On Jan. 23 at 7:08 p.m. stopped a car on East Street for having an obstructed windshield and littering. Police cited a passenger — Mark Arthur Bedell, 25, of Bristol — for possession of heroin.
•  On Jan. 26 at 10:30 p.m. checked out a Main Street apartment after an anonymous caller reported hearing yelling and banging. At the apartment, the officer overheard Debra Foley speaking of smoking marijuana with a male guest and found marijuana following a consent search of the apartment. Police cited Foley, 42, of Bristol for possession of marijuana.
•  On Jan. 27 at 2:34 p.m. while conducting traffic operations on Rockydale Road at Lincoln Road an officer recognized a passenger in a car as Andrew Bissonnette, 22, of Starksboro, who was known to be wanted by Vermont State Police for domestic assault. The officer stopped the car and took Bissonnette into custody without incident. Bissonnette was transported to the Bristol Police Department, where he was transferred to the custody of the VSP without incident.
•  On Jan. 27 cited Bradley Fleming, 32, of Starksboro for driving with a criminally suspended driver’s license.
•  On Jan. 28 at 12:42 p.m. checked on the welfare of a Munsill Avenue resident who had not shown up for work — the caller told police that the subject is a reliable employee with known medical issues related to diabetic emergencies. Police located the resident, who appeared drowsy and confused. The Bristol Rescue Squad respond and checked the subject, who subsequently refused transport to a hospital.
•  On Jan. 29 while at Mount Abe on business unrelated to this report, an officer was given a pill bottle containing marijuana and biographical information on a 14-year-old Bristol male found in possession of the drug at school. The 14-year-old was issued a juvenile citation for possession of marijuana.
•  On Jan. 29 was contacted by a Mount Abe student who wished to speak to an officer. The student reported being the victim of a sexual assault approximately one month earlier. The officer made a report to the Department of Children and Families and the investigation was initiated by Addison County Unit for Special Investigations because of a conflict with the Bristol police investigator, who knew the victim personally.
•  On Jan. 29 at 8:51 p.m. received a report of a retail theft at Shaw’s Supermarket. Police said their investigation revealed that Amos Palmer, 37, and Chantal Richards, 39, both of Starksboro, had taken a basket of groceries out through the entry door without paying. They were located and charged. Police report that both had been caught by store employees several days earlier attempting to do the same thing but with a grocery cart full of food.
•  On Jan. 31 at 2:57 p.m. were told that a man had placed an empty deposit envelope in the National Bank of Middlebury ATM but indicated it contained $800; he then withdrew $800 in two transactions. Bank officials told police the account belonged to a 5-year-old girl and had two female co-signers. The subject was recognized by the investigating officer and later identified as Daniel Grant, 26, of Bristol. He was later located and cited for false token.
•  On Feb. 6 received a report that a woman driving a Ford Focus and believed to live on Rockydale Road had driven away from Maplefields without paying for $39.74 in gas. Store officials advised they believed the customer may have attempted to use a debit/credit card but it had not processed completely. The resident has not yet been located to make restitution.
•  On Feb. 10 at 10:33 a.m. stopped a 2004 Silver Pontiac Sunfire for having an obstructed windshield and an expired registration sticker. Police screened the driver, identified as Jared E. Litch, 22, of Middlebury, for driving under the influence. During screening the officer allegedly saw a bag of marijuana hanging from Litch’s pocket. The officer cited Litch for possession of marijuana.
•  On Feb. 10 at 12:50 p.m. stopped a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt travelling the wrong way on a one-way alley from Prince Lane to Main Street. During the stop two male occupants provided suspicious identifications and investigation revealed they were in the country illegally. Police turned the two males over to the Border Patrol. A large quantity of U.S. currency was also seized and turned over to Border Patrol.
•  On Feb. 12 at 12:29 p.m. received a report that a back door on a residence was wide open. Police checked the entire residence and found nothing out of order. The door, which appeared to be out of alignment, was secured.
•  On Feb. 13 identified, with the help of the Department of Liquor Control, a suspect involved in the theft of several thousand dollars of liquor from the State Liquor Store at Champlain Farms. Action is pending.