ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police troopers stationed at the New Haven barracks were called to help look for a reported lost hiker on Jan. 21. Last Thursday at about 7:30 p.m. the Vermont State Police Shaftsbury barracks received the call about an overdue hiker.
A family member reported the hiker was alone, had driven to the Peru area from Massachusetts earlier in the day, and failed to make contact with his family after it became dark — they were concerned for his welfare.
Troopers in Bennington, Rutland and Addison counties, as well as police from Winhall and Manchester completed extensive efforts to locate the hiker, but were unsuccessful.
The next day, Jan. 22, at around 11:30 a.m. troopers located the missing hiker safe in his vehicle in the area of Routes 125 and 100 in Hancock. The hiker told police he was unable to contact his family due to bad phone service. State police determined he was in no danger or lost at any point.
Separately, on Jan. 18 at a few minutes before 9 p.m., Vermont State Police logged a report of a family fight in Leicester.
Troopers investigated and came to believe that Lisa Malinowski, 53, of Leicester had caused bodily injury to a family member.
Police took Malinowski into custody and transported her to the New Haven barracks for processing. Troopers released Malinowski on conditions and cited her to appear before the Addison County Superior Court, criminal division, to answer the charge of domestic assault.