ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police were busy on Christmas Eve.
On Dec. 24 at around 10:22 p.m. state police, along with Vergennes police, responded to Route 7 in Waltham south of South Middlebrook Road for a one-car crash. Witnesses told police that the driver of the 2006 Chevy Cobalt involved in the crash had taken off on foot.
With help from a K-9, the driver was located a short time later in a field. Troopers took the driver — identified as 24-year-old Kaleb Shepard of Vergennes — into custody and cited him for driving under the influence. A 23-year-old Bristol resident who was a passenger in the car was taken to Porter Hospital to be looked at for head pain.
The Chevy sustained rollover damage and was considered a total loss.
Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact the state police at the New Haven barracks at 388-4919.
Earlier that same day, troopers and Vergennes police responded to a report of a Vergennes woman in crisis. State police said Nicole Marschke, 42, agreed to be transported to Porter Hospital for evaluation. During transport, police report that Marschke became disruptive in the cruiser and the transporting trooper was forced to stop on Route 7 in Waltham. It is alleged that Marschke then kicked and scratched the trooper causing minor facial injuries.
The trooper cited Marschke for assault on a law enforcement officer.
Also on Dec. 24, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner positively identified the human skeletal remains located off Gap Road in Goshen two days earlier as that of Denise Hart, the Hartford, Conn., woman who disappeared while in Vermont this past January. Hart’s death was ruled a homicide. See full story on Page 2A.
Finally, state police are requesting assistance gathering information regarding the theft of food and walkers from an adult living community in Pittsford on Christmas Eve. State police report that approximately 30 elderly resident of the National Church Residences Village Manor woke this past Thursday morning to find they had, in the words of a VSP press release, received “a visit from the Grinch” the previous night.
Someone had stolen Christmas cookies, tossed salad, frozen chicken, several turkeys, loaves of bread (frozen), hot dog rolls, dinner rolls, canned vegetables, 10 pounds of potatoes, Christmas CDs, puzzles, a TV and stereo and 10 walkers!
The Dec. 25 press release continued:
“Unfortunately for you, Mr. Grinch, Christmas has been saved by the amazing community (which) has gathered so much food they are covered for a feast today and probably for the next week!”
 A criminal investigation is pending any leads. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Vermont State Police at 802-773-9101. Information can also be submitted anonymously online at www.vtips.info or by texting “CRIMES” (274637) to Keyword: VTIPS.
State police were also busy with more conventional crimes last week. On Dec. 22 troopers launched an investigation into the recent theft of $13,000 worth of equipment from Boise Citgo at 2953 Route 22A in Bridport.
The victim, 76-year-old Raymond Boise, told police the theft of items from his garage took place between Dec. 10 and 15. Among the stolen items were several Snap-On brand tools, including a scanner, Tire Sensor System Tool, Master Flaring Set, Solus Ultra, and a Euro Activation system with accessories.
Police did not reveal whether the garage was locked at the time of the theft.
Anyone with information regarding this theft is asked to contact the New Haven state police barracks at 802-388-4919.
In a separate case, state police got one suspect for which they were searching. On Dec. 26, John Ryan Stice, a 26-year-old resident of Winchester, Ky., turned himself in to Vermont State Police. A Dec. 18 warrant for Stice’s arrest had been issued in connection with allegations that he had threatened (by phone) two workers at the Middlebury office of the Department of Children & Families on Dec. 11. Stice is involved in a custody dispute. He was held at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility on $100,000 bail. See the full story on Page 2A.
In other recent activity, state police:
• On Dec. 18 at approximately 4:45 p.m. responded to Champlain Farms Convenience Store on Route 7 in Pittsford for a reported intoxicated female. Police cited Ingrid Gevry, 36, of Brandon for driving under the influence of drugs.
• On Dec. 18 received a call about a domestic assault in Shoreham. State police responded to the scene, talked with the victim, and determined that Randall Strong, 62, of Shoreham had strangled the victim several times, and when the victim attempted to call the police Strong ripped the telephone out of the wall.
Strong fled the scene and hid from police for the night. He was located the next day and police cited him for first-degree aggravated domestic assault and interference with access to emergency services.
• On Dec. 22 at 7:55 p.m. responded to a single-vehicle crash at 2153 Button Bay Road in Ferrisburgh. Police report that 28-year-old Scott Botola of Panton was driving a 2008 Dodge truck westbound on Button Bay Road when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree, totaling the truck. This incident is still under investigation, and police said criminal charges are pending.
• On Dec. 26 at 8:36 p.m. went to a one-vehicle crash on Sand Road in Ferrisburgh. Police report that a 2001 Dodge truck driven by Martin W. Evens, 32, of Essex, N.Y., was eastbound on Sand Road when the vehicle traveled into a culvert. Evens provided a preliminary sample of his breath and his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.225 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08. Evens was transported to Porter Medical Hospital and later released and transported to the New Haven barracks, where he was cited for driving under the influence.