Latest news with #HampdenSuperiorCourt
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Springfield man accused of shooting ex-girlfriend being held on over a dozen charges
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Springfield man is being held on more than a dozen charges, including assault with the intent to murder. In a news release from the Hampden District Attorney's Office Assistant Communications Director Elijah Ayers, Springfield police were called to Mercy Medical Center for a report of an assault on December 14, 2024. A report was filed for a woman who had a cut on her forehead and was allegedly assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. On December 17th, officers were called to a shooting on Stafford Street. The same victim was found suffering from gunshot wounds. She was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover. Springfield police seize gun and drugs from suspect found in Hennessy Park The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Luis Kidanny-Colon and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The following day, detectives arrested Colon as he exited the bus at Union Station in Springfield. They seized a loaded 40mm Smith and Wesson handgun with one live round in the chamber and approximately six rounds in the magazine, 33 bags of heroin stamped 'Chanel' inside a sandwich bag, and three grey medium-sized caps containing cocaine inside a sandwich bag. Luis Kidanny-Colon is charged with the following: Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (2 counts) Armed burglary Larceny under $1,200 Malicious injury to property Assault and battery by discharge of a firearm Assault with the intent to murder Assault and battery with serious bodily injury Mayhem Armed with a firearm Unlawful possession of a firearm Carrying a large-capacity rifle or shotgun on a public way Unlawful possession of a controlled substance Stalking On Thursday, the DA's Office said that a judge found Colon dangerous after a hearing in Hampden Superior Court and will be held under pre-trial detention for 180 days. He is scheduled in Hampden Superior Court for June 18th. 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Springfield man held as danger after beating, shooting of city woman
SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man who first beat and then days later shot a city woman multiple times last year is being held as a danger to the public, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said Thursday. Luis Kidanny Colon, 38, was held after a dangerousness hearing in Hampden Superior Court earlier this month. He'll be detained for 180 days. On Dec. 14 at about 9:40 p.m., Springfield police responded to Mercy Medical Center for a report of a woman whose forehead had been cut, allegedly by Colon. Just three days later, at about 4:20 p.m., there was a report of a shooting near 100 Stafford St. There, responding police officers found the same victim, who had been shot multiple times. She was taken to Baystate Medical Center and underwent emergency surgery. Colon again was identified as the suspect, and police obtained a warrant for his arrest. The next day at about 12:05 p.m., members of local, county, state and federal law enforcement were briefed on the warrant for Colon. He was spotted by detectives on the 200 block of Bay Street, where police continued surveillance while Colon boarded a Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus bound for Union Station in Springfield. When Colon got off the bus, he was immediately arrested. During the arrest, police found he possessed an unlicensed, loaded 40 mm Smith and Wesson handgun with one live round in the chamber, a magazine with six rounds in it, 33 bags of heroin stamped 'Chanel' and three containers with cocaine in them. Colon was charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; armed burglary; larceny under $1,200; malicious injury to property; assault and battery by discharge of a firearm; assault with the intent to murder; assault and battery with serious bodily injury; mayhem; being armed with a firearm; unlawful possession of a firearm; carrying a large-capacity rifle or shotgun on a public way; two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance; and stalking. Colon will next appear in Hampden Superior Court on June 18. Shots-fired call leads to 2 arrests in Holyoke Life with shot at parole for Springfield man who gunned down mother of his children in 2019 West Springfield gun buyback nets 34 guns Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Muffin thief or target of retaliation because of her disability? MGM cocktail server sues after firing
SPRINGFIELD — A former cocktail server at MGM Springfield says she was targeted for abuse, retaliation, accusations of theft of a muffin and ultimately fired, all because she was living and working with multiple sclerosis. The MS diagnosis meant Jean Braga, now of Wethersfield, Connecticut, could only work four days out of a seven-day week and had to cut shifts short, leaving by 7 p.m., according to a suit filed last week in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield. MS breaks down the protective covering of nerves, often causing numbness, weakness, problems with walking and vision, and other symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. In the suit, Braga names Blue Tarp Redevelopment Corp., doing business as MGM Springfield, and Braga's supervisor, Allison Brown, as defendants. Braga started with MGM in 2018 and was terminated Feb. 8, 2024. MGM will not comment on pending litigation, spokesperson Beth Ward said Tuesday. Braga asks the court for triple past and future lost pay, in accordance with state employment law, with damages for past and future emotional distress, as well as punitive damages. She also asks for her employment back. Braga's lawyer, Justin M. Murphy of Boston, didn't return calls for comment. Muffins, fruit and other food were set out in a break room for employees to enjoy, and the lawsuit relates anecdotes of workers filling bags and backpacks. The suit says no one was terminated or even corrected for taking the free food, except for Braga and others who also had work accommodations under the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. An unnamed MGM co-worker is quoted in the suit as saying: 'During pre-shift, our managers would say to other servers, 'We have to see what Jeanie (Braga) is going to do before we send servers home.' They would be upset that Jeanie would leave at 7 p.m. most days using PFML as she has a medical condition. Putting Jeanie's medical condition out there and her use of benefits was inappropriate to say the least.' A bar manager is quoted in the suit as saying: 'Brown would constantly complain about Braga using her PFML, stating how it would 'ruin the night' or 'mess up the floor.' There were times before the team update (Brown) would want to make bets on if Braga was going to use her PFML or not on that shift.' PFML, passed in 2021, provides flexibility in how employees schedule their leave to deal with their medical condition or issues faced by family members. Workers can take the leave all at once or a few days at a time per week, according to the state. As years pile on, investors who bought into dream of the Scuderi engine get anxious Veterans cemetery in Agawam draws families honoring Memorial Day tradition CDC: Lead from phone lines is highly concentrated in Springfield manhole muck Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Target of Springfield eminent domain, ‘Chicken Building' owners cry foul in court
SPRINGFIELD — Owners of 1208-1220 Main St. — the decrepit, vacant 'Chicken Building' — are fighting the Springfield Redevelopment Authority's eminent domain efforts in court, saying the $475,000 that the authority paid for it last year is too low. Owners Maple Investments Inc. sued this week in Hampden Superior Court, asking for compensation for damages. Maple Investments Inc. has owned the building since 1979, according to city records. The company's owners, according to state records, are Myron Katz and Karen Schmidt, both of Worcester. Maple Investments Inc. accepted the payment under protest, reserving the right to file this suit, called a compensation claim. The $475,000 amount was derived from an appraisal. The Chicken Building owes its name to the Crown Chicken restaurant that occupied the corner for many years, its tables and counters still visible through windows clouded with dirt, now an example of downtown blight. The other storefronts most recently had a small convenience store, a pawn shop, jewelry store and nail salon. In the lawsuit, Maple Investments says it was planning to redevelop the property on its own. The Springfield Redevelopment Authority began the eminent domain proceedings in June, filing papers with the Hampden County Registry of Deeds, which disclosed the $475,000 in compensation. The Chicken Building at the corner of State and Main streets now sits with its facade deteriorating in the heart of a neighborhood that Springfield wants to redevelop. At other corners of the four-way intersection are key Springfield properties: the MassMutual Center, MGM Springfield and the Clock Tower Building at 113 State St. The Clock Tower Building is a centerpiece of the city's $70 million South Main Street Development Project, where work already has begun. To the north is 31 Elm, a $63 million Court Square redevelopment project. West Springfield gun buyback nets 34 guns Phone workers worried about lead on old lines wonder: Who will answer their call? 'This place is going to come alive': Pride stores founder unveils Hope Center for the Arts Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Massachusetts man sentenced to life in prison for 2019 murder of woman
A Springfield man has been sentenced to life in state prison after pleading guilty to the 2019 murder of 28-year-old Shanike 'Nikki' Roldan, the district attorney said Wednesday. Anthony Potito, 56, was sentenced Tuesday in Hampden Superior Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Roldan, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said in a statement. He will be eligible for parole after 23 years. Potito was also sentenced on the following counts: Count 2: Carrying a firearm without a license — 18 months in the House of Correction Counts 3 & 4: Discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling — three months in the House of Correction Counts 5 & 6: Possession of ammunition without a Firearms Identification Card — two years in the House of Correction Counts 7 & 8: Possession of a firearm without a Firearms Identification Card — one year in the House of Correction Counts 9 & 10: Improper storage of a firearm — one year in the House of Correction Count 11: Receiving stolen property over $1,200 — one year in the House of Correction Sentences on Counts 2-11 are concurrent with the life term on Count 1 and with each other, the district attorney said. 'This case is a tragic example of how substance use can spiral into unimaginable tragedy. Shanike Roldan was a young woman whose life was taken far too soon. My heart goes out to her family and loved ones as they continue to grieve this loss,' Gulluni said. 'I'd like to thank Assistant District Attorneys Dana Parsons and Travis Lynch, and Victim Witness Advocate Stacy Martel, whose careful attention, compassion, and commitment to every detail were instrumental in guiding this case to resolution,' Gulluni said. 'I'd also like to thank the Springfield Police Department for their thorough and dedicated investigation.' On November 3, 2019, at approximately 1:37 a.m., Springfield Police responded to School Street for a report of an unconscious woman bleeding on the sidewalk. When officers arrived, they found Roldan suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, prosecutors said. She was transported to Baystate Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Investigators quickly identified Potito as a suspect after speaking with a witness who saw the shooting and recognized Potito as the man who fired two shots from a sedan. Surveillance footage captured a vehicle approaching the victim as she walked along School Street, with a muzzle flash visible from the driver's side before Roldan collapsed. Detectives learned that Potito and Roldan had been in an on-again, off-again relationship. In the minutes before the shooting, Potito called the victim seven times in under five minutes. After Roldan was shot, communication from Potito stopped. Communication found on Roldan's phone revealed an exchange in which Potito accused the victim of infidelity and prostitution. Prosecutors said he ended the conversation by threatening, 'Well how about this, I'm going to go home and get my gun and kill you right now if I see you.' Minutes later, Roldan was shot. Through surveillance and witness interviews, police determined Potito frequently drove his mother's gray Toyota Avalon, which was consistent with the vehicle seen in surveillance footage. Gunshot residue was detected inside the Avalon after it was seized by police, prosecutors said. Potito was arrested later that day at his home. A search of the home led to the discovery of two operable firearms and ammunition. One of the recovered firearms, a revolver, contained two discharged .44 caliber cartridges. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined the case of Roldan's death to be a gunshot wound to the head and neck and ruled the manner of death a homicide. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
