ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police are investigating the theft of various boats and boating equipment from the Basin Harbor Club Marina off of Basin Harbor Road in Ferrisburgh.
Police received a report on Sunday morning that someone had stolen a 2004, 12-foot Zodiac with a 15hp outboard motor; a red 15-and-a-half-foot Eddie Line composite sea kayak; and an 11-foot orange/red Perception kayak.
In addition to the boats, various other boating equipment was stolen as well. The total amount of property stolen has an estimated value of approximately $9,000.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Andrew Leise at 802-388-4919. Information can also be submitted anonymously online at www.vtips.info or by texting “CRIMES” (274637) to keyword: VTIPS.
Separately, over the past two and a half weeks state police and Middlebury Police Officer Scott Fisher investigated numerous reports of scrap metal being stolen from Middlebury and a location in Monkton. Approximately $10,000 worth of scrap metal was stolen from these various locations in the county. Through investigation police determined that Robert D. Miller, a 49-year-old transient, was involved in these theft cases. Last week police charged Miller with multiple counts of larceny.
In other recent activity, VSP:
•  On June 11 responded to a two-vehicle accident on Hardscrabble Road in Monkton. Police said Joseph A. Ekroos, 57, of Bristol was driving a 2008 International school bus northbound, following a 2003 Subaru Forester driven by Soriba S. Camara, 39, of Bristol. When the Forester slowed and attempted to pull into a private driveway, the bus driver attempted to slow his vehicle but was unable to stop and collided with the rear end of the Forester. It was raining and the road was wet. There was minimal-moderate contact damage to both vehicles. There were no injuries and there were no children on the school bus. The collision is still under investigation.
•  On June 11 at 1:16 p.m. were called about vandalism to a sign at The Chipman Inn off Route 125 in Ripton. The value of the sign is approximately $250. Anyone with information is asked to contact VSP.
•  On June 11 received a report of a burglary to a Field Days Road home in New Haven.
•  On June 11 received a report of the theft of two mountain bikes from a Mountain Road home in Addison that occurred between 8 p.m. on June 9 and 9 p.m. on June 10. Anyone with information is asked to contact VSP.
•  State police are investigating a burglary that occurred on Mountain Street in Addison. Two mountain bikes were stolen. This incident occurred between 8 p.m. on June 9 and 8 a.m. on June 10. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact VSP at 388-4919.
•  On June 12 at 9:32 p.m. responded to a one-car crash involving a bear on Route 7 in Salisbury. Police report that David Paquette, 57, of Middlebury was driving a 2011 Chevy southbound on Route 7 when he collided with a bear in the roadway. Paquette, who was wearing a seatbelt, was uninjured; the Chevy sustained moderate front-end damage. Police did not report the condition of the bear.
•  On June 13 at 9:24 p.m. stopped a vehicle driven by Matthew Ryan Anderson, 32, of Orwell on Route 4 in Rutland after police observed multiple motor vehicle violations. They cited Anderson for negligent driving.
•  On June 14 received a report of a burglary at a Route 116 home in Bristol. Sometime after 9 p.m. the previous night someone had entered an unlocked garage and stolen a blue 2007 650R Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. On the afternoon of June 14, a neighbor reportedly saw a young male, later identified as Jeff Tanner, 19, of Bristol, pushing the motorcycle down Route 116. Tanner was detained by a group of local residents until Vermont State Police arrived to place him in custody. Police cited Tanner for burglary, grand larceny and violation of conditions of release. He was lodged at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Center for lack of $2,500 bail.
•  On June 14 were called to investigate a burglary that occurred sometime between 6 p.m. on June 13 and the same time on June 14 at the garage of a Botsford Road home in Ferrisburgh. The victims reported several items stolen, including a weed whacker and a large amount of tools, from a detached garage. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact VSP.
•  On June 14 at 11 p.m. responded to a one-car crash in Weybridge. Police report that Janis Bark, 57, of New Haven drove Toyota RAV4 off Quaker Village Road and collided with a small cluster of trees. Bark was transported to the hospital by Vergennes Area Rescue Squad with minor injuries. Her car was considered a total loss.
•  On June 15 at 2:55 p.m. were informed of the theft of a chainsaw and gas can from a residence on South Middlebrook Road in Ferrisburgh. The victim said the theft occurred sometime within the past week, probably during daytime. Anyone with information is asked to contact VSP.
•  Were called to look into a report of a trailer stolen from a Dugway Road home in Ferrisburgh sometime Saturday night, June 15. The complainant told police that she was holding her son’s trailer at the time it was stolen from the residence. The trailer was described as a 2012 Worthington utility trailer last seen with a Pennsylvania trailer plate “X6X4442.” Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Armstrong at 388-4919. Information can also be submitted anonymously online at www.vtips.info or by texting “CRIMES” (274637) to Keyword: VTIPS.
•  On June 15 at 11 p.m. assisted the Ripton Fire Department with a truck on fire at the Widow Clearing parking area off Goshen Road in Ripton. The truck was burned completely. Troopers are still attempting to contact the owner of the vehicle. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the VSP.
•  On June 16 at 4:45 p.m. responded to a complaint in Starksboro. Police cited Jesse Raymond, 41, of Starksboro for being in violation of a relief from abuse order.
•  On June 16 at 9:10 p.m. stopped a vehicle driven by Janette Lattrell, 53, of Vergennes on Route 17/116 in Bristol for a motor vehicle violation. Police cited Lattrell for DUI.
•  On June 17 initiated an investigation into a Leicester woman’s report of identity theft. Someone had reportedly used the victim’s personal information to charge $176 to a Kohl’s credit card. Anyone with information is asked to contact VSP.
•  On June 17 at 3:42 p.m. responded to a one-vehicle crash in Addison. Police said that Marc J. Desabrais, 49, of Bridport was driving a 2001 Freightliner box truck westbound on Route 17 when the truck traveled off the north side of the road and collided with a tree. There was moderate passenger-side damage to vehicle, but no one was injured. Neither speed nor impairment were contributing factors in the collision, Senior Trooper Leise reported. The collision is still under investigation.
•  On June 16 responded to a suspicious complaint on Pearson Road in New Haven. Police cited David Millson, 72, of New Haven for reckless endangerment and aiming a firearm at another. Police report that their investigation suggests that Millson discharged between nine and 12 rounds less than 500 feet away, in the direction of the victim. Millson told troopers that he was attempting to get the attention of the person who was cutting his neighbor’s trees, which separate the two properties, to get him to stop.
• On June 18 were alerted to the theft of an inspection sticker from a service van at Dundon’s Plumbing in Orwell. The inspection sticker is a blue 2 with a serial number of 13-307263. Anyone with information is asked to contact VSP.
INCREASED DUI PATROLS
The VSP have initiated a statewide traffic enforcement campaign based on an analytical review of crash data and DUI statistics. Over the last three years, records indicate of the 874 crashes involving impaired drivers, 51 were fatal and 388 involved personal injury. During the same period, there were approximately 7,000 DUI arrests in Vermont.
Last week, troopers kicked off 16 weeks of “Operation Sober Summer” that will continue through Saturday, Sept. 28.
In an effort to get impaired drivers off the road, raise public awareness about the dangers of impaired driving, and save more lives on our roadways, the motoring public can expect to see more troopers on patrols in areas identified as having higher impaired driving rates.
There have been 19 fatal crashes resulting in 20 deaths so far this year in Vermont. Of those fatal crashes, nine involved drugs and/or alcohol. Of all of the injury crashes, 60 involved drugs and/or alcohol. And of property damage crashes, 126 involved drugs and/or alcohol.
It is the goal of “Operation Sober Summer” to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the roads and save lives this summer in Vermont.