Crime

Vergennes Police Log: City hit with vandalism outbreak

VERGENNES — Vergennes police have stepped up patrols in the downtown area after a vandalism spree last week resulted in 14 cars and two flower boxes damaged.

Police said between Aug. 4 and 8 flowers were ripped out of two boxes attached to Main Street businesses, and keys or other similar metal objects were used to scratch cars parked on or near Main, Green, School and Spring streets.

Police said they have no suspects at this time. They would welcome calls with information at 877-2201.

In other action between July 19 and Aug. 8, Vergennes police:

On July 19:

•  Stopped two tractor-trailer units for violations on West Main Street, fining one $8,672 for being 50,000 pounds overweight and ticketing the other for traveling 44 mph in a 30 mph zone.

•  Called the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad to help a woman having a medical emergency on a Monkton Road sidewalk; VARS took her to Porter Hospital.

On July 20:

•  Made the first of several visits in the past three weeks to help a troubled Walker Avenue resident. On this visit police said she was found on the ground drunk, and VARS took her to the UVM Medical Center.

•  Calmed a dispute between a mother and daughter at a city residence. Police said they involved the Counseling Service of Addison County (CSAC) and AgeWell through Project Vision North and said the situation seems to be improved.

•  Served no-trespass orders to several unwanted individuals at 45 Armory Lane on behalf of its landlord, Addison County Community Trust.

On July 21:

•  Dealt with a one-vehicle accident on School Street.

•  Handled a complex call at a city apartment that ended up with motor vehicle citations and a trip to the hospital. Police were told by the resident that a man who had retrieved belongings from her apartment had failed to return her keys. They contacted the man, Michael Noe, 27, of Rutland, and arranged for the return of the keys. While doing so they realized he had left an unregistered vehicle on Armory Lane. When he drove they stopped Noe and cited him for driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle without a license, and with unassigned plates and a false inspection sticker. Meanwhile, the original caller reported a medical emergency, and police contacted VARS to transport her to Porter Hospital.

On July 22 met with CSAC, AgeWell and Turning Point Center representatives in an attempt to find a way to help a troubled Walker Avenue resident.

On July 23:

•  Dealt with a minor two-car accident on Main Street.

•  Warned youths in the Booth Woods area not to ride ATVs on roads.

On July 24:

•  Dealt with a minor two-car accident on South Maple Street, calming one upset driver.

•  Returned to its owner a paycheck a citizen found dropped on Main Street.

•  Issued a no-trespass order to one Walker Avenue resident on behalf of another.

On July 25:

•  Following a heads-up from city firefighters reported “questionable living conditions” at a Main Street residence to the Department For Children and Families.

•  Investigated a minor collision between a city fire truck and a private vehicle in a residential driveway.

On July 26:

•  Helped VARS calm an uncooperative patient at a Hillside Acres apartment.

•  Turned over an allegation of a sex assault from the fall of 2020 to the Addison County Unit for Special Investigations.

On July 27:

•  Dealt with a minor two-vehicle accident on Main Street.

•  Warned youths in the Booth Woods area not to ride ATVs on roads.

•  Sent Chief George Merkel to the Vermont State Police Academy to teach community policing.

•  Tried unsuccessfully to find a black van reported as being driven erratically on Main Street.

•  Cited Matt Couture, 44, of Vergennes for leaving the scene of an accident and driving without insurance after allegedly damaging property at Kinney Drug Store.

On July 28:

•  Cited Karen Norton, 50, of Vergennes for driving under the influence of alcohol, third offense, after stopping her vehicle for erratic operation on Main Street. Police said she refused blood-alcohol testing.

•  Advised a local teen, at the urging of her grandparent, that it was a bad idea to post pictures of herself in lingerie on Instagram.

•  Called VARS to take a man slumped on a North Green Street sidewalk to Porter Hospital; police said he appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

•  Calmed a Second Street couple that had separated, but was still living together. Police said the woman involved said she was afraid the man would harm her.

On July 29:

•  Sent a department Drug Recognition Expert to the Vermont State Police barracks in New Haven to help evaluate a driver.

•  Investigated an apparent failed break-in at a Main Street business. Police said someone had tried to enter the firm through a basement and had damaged a lock.

•  After failing to contact the farmer, herded a cow loose in Panton near the intersection of Basin Harbor and Panton roads back into a pasture.

On July 30:

•  Served a no-trespass order to a city resident on behalf of Elderly Services Inc.

•  Took a report that a motorist had lost a wallet while filling up with gas at Small City Market.

•  Called VARS to take a drunken Walker Avenue resident to Porter Hospital, where she was met by a CSAC counselor. VARS also took her to Porter on July 31.

On Aug. 1 took a report that residents of 45 Armory Lane were finding needles in and near the common trash area.

On Aug. 2 cited Craig Sayles, 40, of Ferrisburgh, for unlawful mischief. Police allege Sayles became upset with a laundry machine at the New Haven Road Laundromat and punched it and struck it with a chair.

On Aug. 3 cited Patrick L. Cota Jr., 28, of Bristol for DUI-drugs after seeing his vehicle allegedly being operated erratically on Armory Lane.

On Aug. 4 helped state police arrest a man accused of assault at Basin Harbor’s Red Mill Restaurant.

On Aug. 5, after receiving a tip from a Community Bank teller at its Monkton Road branch, persuaded an elderly city resident not to send away $15,500 in hopes of receiving a prize. Police praised the teller’s alertness in recognizing the woman was a potential scam victim and taking action to stop it.

On Aug. 6:

•  Called VARS to take a drunken Walker Avenue resident to Porter Hospital.

•  Helped state police process a DUI-drug case at the city police station, and while doing so cited the woman who came to pick up the state police suspect. Police said when Crystal Hardy, 36, of Colchester came to pick up the person who state troopers were processing, they noticed signs of impairment in Hardy. Vergennes police then cited Hardy for DUI-drugs.

On Aug. 8 calmed a couple arguing outside the City Limits nightclub.

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