Latest news with #HampdenDA'sOffice
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Western Mass. schools participate in Massachusetts Civics Project Showcases
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – 1,000 students were chosen to take part in the Massachusetts Civics Project Showcases. The showcases started on Tuesday in Dartmouth, and 20 schools around Western Massachusetts participated in the second day of the fair on Wednesday inside the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The room was filled with poster board presentations. Hampden DA's Office hosts 'Preventing Dating Violence' program for students At the fair, students share their plans to solve community issues, amongst their peers and community advisors, such as local legislators and subject-matter experts. Issues included student mental health, environmental justice, and educational equity. Some projects took students a month to plan, create, and execute. 'We decided to take action basically,' said Mileska Santiheo, a junior at Sci-Tech High School. 'So we noticed that our bathrooms don't really provide any feminine products or anything, so we got donations from teachers and nurses and we built the basket up.' The next fair will be on Monday in Worcester. The last stop of the fair will be next week in Boston. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Wales man sentenced to prison for distributing fentanyl
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Wales man was sentenced to prison last month for possessing multiple illicit controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni announced the conviction and sentencing of 37-year-old Christopher Anderson of Wales on Tuesday. This sentencing follows charges Anderson faced in 2022 in Monson. Chicopee man sentenced for deadly crash on Route 9 in Belchertown The charging documents stated that on November 9, 2022, a sergeant was monitoring traffic on Wilbraham Road in Monson at approximately 9:24 p.m. He saw a Chevy Impala speeding between 60 and 65 mph in a posted 40 mph zone, and activated his emergency lights and siren while entering traffic. The vehicle continued slowly but eventually stopped, and the sergeant witnessed movement between the two individuals in the vehicle. The driver, identified as Anderson, apologized for speeding and told the sergeant that the vehicle was registered to his mother. He said that he and his friend were traveling from the dispensary. The Hampden DA's Office said that Anderson showed the sergeant a kit commonly used to consume marijuana. The kit contained rolling papers and a scale with cocaine residue on it. Upon further investigation, the sergeant found that Anderson's license was suspended. Anderson was arrested for operating under suspension and exited the vehicle. The sergeant saw a billy club in the driver's door pocket and searched Anderson and the vehicle for weapons. In Anderson's pockets, officers found a second scale with white residue on it resembling cocaine, three full wax heroin bags, one open wax bag with a cut straw, a blue flip-phone, and $2,763 in cash. Officers searching the vehicle found multiple cut snorting straws with white residue, a small glass vial of cocaine, two pocket knives, a third digital scale, 258 bags of fentanyl, seven grams of crack cocaine, three grams of powdered cocaine, five oxycodone pills, and one diazepam pill. Anderson was charged with: Unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (Class A, fentanyl) Unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (Class A, heroin) Unlawful possession of a Class B controlled substance (oxycodone) Unlawful possession of a Class C controlled substance (diazepam) On April 11, 2025, Anderson was sentenced to three and a half to four years in state prison. He was also sentenced to one year of incarceration to run concurrently to his state prison sentence. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Springfield students explore judicial system during Springfield Courthouse tour
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A group of students from Pope Francis Preparatory School got an up-close look at the workings of the justice system during a guided tour of the Roderick Ireland Courthouse. The visit, hosted by the Hampden DA's Office, aimed to educate and inspire young minds by offering a real-world view of courtroom procedures, the legal profession, and the many roles that contribute to the administration of justice. As part of the immersive experience, students visited key areas of the courthouse, including courtrooms, judges' chambers, and probation offices. Throughout the tour, members of the District Attorney's Office provided insight into the legal process, from case preparation to trial, and discussed the broader responsibilities of prosecutors in upholding justice and public safety. 'The next generation of legal professionals will shape the future of justice in our country,' said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. 'We're proud to be a part of that journey and hope the tour will inspire some of these students to consider a career in law, public service, or advocacy.' During their visit, students had the opportunity to interact with a wide range of courthouse personnel, including judges, victim witness advocates, court officers, and staff from various departments. Each offered perspectives on their roles within the system and how they contribute to the fair and effective operation of the court. The initiative is part of the DA's ongoing commitment to community engagement and education. Through programs like courthouse tours, school presentations, and peer-led outreach, the office works to build awareness and understanding of the justice system among young people. Educators interested in arranging a similar experience for their students are encouraged to contact Community Safety and Outreach Coordinator Gina Anselmo at WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mass. babysitter charged with manslaughter after child dies in car
MARTHA'S VINEYARD, Mass. (WWLP)– A Martha's Vineyard woman has been charged in the death of a two-year-old boy. According to the Cape & Islands District Attorney's office, Aimee Cotton, 41, of Martha's Vineyard has been charged with manslaughter when a child in her care died after being left unattended in her car. Hampden DA's Office teaches Springfield students about substance use prevention Investigators said that shortly after 1:00 p.m. on March 13, Cotton called 911 and said that a child she was babysitting was not breathing and turning blue. First responders found Cotton performing CPR on the child and took over lifesaving efforts. The child was taken to Martha's Vineyard Hospital and then flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in critical condition. The child died on March 19 as a result of his injuries. The arraignment report stated that Cotton claimed that while babysitting the boy and a one-year-old girl, she left the children in the car for what she estimated was fifteen minutes and returned to find him unresponsive. Surveillance footage from Cotton's home revealed that she reportedly left the children in the car for approximately three hours. Cotton allegedly then told law enforcement that the children were strapped into the car seats while she was in her home cooking bacon and doing household chores. A prosecutor in the case stated that the boy suffered from hypothermia and upon his arrival to the hospital, his body temperature was 14 degrees lower than normal. On March 14, Cotton was arraigned in the Edgartown District Court on the charges of Assault and Battery on a Child w/ Injury and Reckless Endangerment of Child. Cotton was held on $2,800 bail with conditions of release. After the child died, the charges were upgraded to manslaughter, whereupon Cotton was held on $21,000 bail with GPS. She is due back in the Edgartown District Court on April 3 for a Probable Cause hearing. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Springfield 2023 deadly arson suspect due in court
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The man accused of starting a fire at a home in Springfield that killed a teenage girl is due in court on Monday. Springfield woman charged with OUI, wrong way driving in Hartford In October 2023, crews were called to a house fire at 118 Grover Street at around 5:15 a.m. where two people were trapped inside. Firefighters entered the home and removed the two victims from the fire. They were brought to Baystate Medical Center, however, 18-year-old Janayrah Rivera passed away due to her injuries. In the fifteen months following the incident, investigators from the Hampden DA's Office, the Springfield Police Department's Homicide Unit, Arson and Bomb Squad, and State Police fire investigators were able to identify 44-year-old Juan Carlos Torres of Springfield in connection with the arson. Torres due in court Monday morning for a pre-trial hearing. The Hampden DA's Office, the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad, and the Springfield Police Department's Homicide Unit are continuing to investigate this incident. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
