Boston Criminal Lawyers Blog

Norwell Mom Arrested for Driving Drunk with Baby in Car…and Naked!

Published on: January 17, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Gayle Drummond, 37 of Norwell, was arrested this past Saturday night and charged with violating Massachusetts Drunk Driving / DUI Laws for driving without her pants and with her 4 month old baby in the car.

According to the Norwell Police Department, officers received reports of a drunk driver who allegedly hit a snow bank, removed her pants and then continued driving. The person who reported the incident also observed an infant in the backseat.

A short while later, Drummond was stopped by Norwell Police, who allege that she had an odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and was unsteady on her feet. The officers did confirm that there was a 4 month old child in the backseat, and that Drummond was not wearing her pants.

Quincy Mother Charged With Murder in Child’s Poisoning

Published on: January 15, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Quincy mother, Li Rong Zhang, was arrested on Massachusetts Murder Charges of her 8 year old son’s death after the two were found unconscious in their Quincy apartment.

According to the Quincy Police Department and Norfolk County prosecutors, Zhang allegedly tried to kill the two of them by barricading herself and the young child in a room and then lighting a coal-fired hibachi grill. When the police responded to the home after the fire alarm went off, the door to the room was found to have been blocked by a large piece of furniture.

The pair was found by Zhang’s other child, a 16 year old boy, when he came back from school.

Braintree Boy Scout Leader Charged With Sexual Assault and Attempted Rape of Boy

Published on: January 14, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Michael Cimmino, 54, of Braintree, was initially charged with Massachusetts Sex Crimes in Quincy District Court for alleged inappropriate sexual conduct towards a child under 14. At his arraignment in Quincy on January 3, Cimmino entered a plea of not guilty to sex crimes charges including Kidnapping; Assault with Intent to Rape; and eight counts of Indecent Assault & Battery on a Child Under 14.

This past week, however, Cimmino was charged with additional Sex Crimes after a second alleged victim came forward claiming inappropriate sexual conduct. He was again arraigned in Quincy District Court on sex crimes charges including Indecent Assault & Battery on a Person Under 14 and Open & Gross Lewdness.

According to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, Cimmino is alleged to have touched the child inappropriately when the child was at Cimmino’s house for a New Year’s sleepover. The ‘inappropriate touching’ as alleged by the prosecutor, consists of Cimmino allegedly rubbing the head and shoulders of the child…

Waltham Man Attacks Dad with Ax – Charged with Attempted Murder

Published on: January 13, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Tracy Hough, 42, of Waltham, was arraigned in Waltham District Court on Massachusetts Crimes of Violence Charges including Attempted Murder, Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, and Mayhem.

This past Wednesday, Hough allegedly attacked his father with an ax, almost severing his hand, in what prosecutors described as an argument over a snow-blower. Hough, who lives in the basement of his parents’ home, left the scene after his mother went downstairs to discovery Ralph Hough, the father, bleeding from two apparent ax wounds to his back and one to his hand.

Notably, when the Waltham Police were dispatched regarding the crime, Hough was described as “possibly bipolar”. It’s unclear at this time what Hough’s mental health history is at this time, and whether a Defense of Criminal Responsibility might be viable in this case.

Dorchester Man Arrested for Assault on Boston Police Officer With Gun

Published on: January 11, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Marvin Veiga was arraigned this morning in Dorchester District Court for allegedly Assaulting a Boston Police Officer with a Deadly Weapon, a rifle, this past Saturday after a high-speed chase in Dorchester. The Boston Police Officer ultimately shot Marvin Veiga in the leg.

Veiga was also charged with various Massachusetts Gun Crimes, including Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Possession of a Loaded Firearm; and Resisting Arrest.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the incident occurred when officer’s of the “Boston Police Department’s Youth Violence Strike Force” got an ‘anonymous tip’ to pull over a Chrysler in which Veiga and three others were in. When police tried to pull the car over, the driver, Osvaldir Mendes, of Dorchester, led police on a chase. When the car finally pulled over, Veiga, Mendes, and Takari Elliot, of Dorchester, got out of the car and they all ran. The fourth person in the car, Daronde Bethea of Milton, remained inside the car.

Methuen Man Arrested for 14th DUI / Drunk Driving Offense in Lawrence

Published on: January 10, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Albert Lanzo, Jr., 50, of Methuen, was arrested for his 14th Massachusetts DUI Offense in Lawrence this past weekend. Lanzo was specifically arraigned on Drunk Driving Charges including Operating Under the Inlfuence of Alcohol, 5th or Subsequent Offense; Driving with a Suspended License; and Leaving the Scene of Property Damage.

According to the Lawrence Police Department, Lanzo allegedly drove over a mailbox and left the scene. After police responded to investigate, Lanzo’s truck was located less than a mile away, with Lanzo slumped over the steering wheel.

Although Lawrence Police “detected a strong odor of alcohol”, it is unclear whether Lanzo was asked to perform any Field Sobriety Tests and/or to submit to a Breathalyzer Test.

Wareham Man To Be Arraigned on Manslaughter Charges for Killing Two Others at Wareham Motel

Published on: January 9, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Richard Walling, 20, of Wareham, Massachusetts, was arrested on Murder Charges in connection with the stabbing deaths of Leonard Bollla, 35, adn Ryan Aponte, 24, both of Wareham, which occurred at a Wareham motel.

Walling is expected to be arraigned tomorrow morning on two counts of Manslaughter.

According to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Bolla and Aponte were both stabbed at a Wareham motel Friday evening. Although few details have been released to date, it has been reported that the murders resulted from a botched robbery attempt, wherein two masked men broke into the front door of the motel and tried the motel owner’s daughter and boyfriend, who is Richard Walling. Apparently Walling tried to fight off the two men, Bolla and Aponte, after a scuffle, ended up stabbing both of them.

Two Men Charged with Unarmed Robbery of Everett Bank

Published on: January 8, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Robert Giannino, 34, of Medford, and James Gordon Chase, 48, of Lynn, have both been charged with Unarmed Robbery for the attempted robbery of Century Bank in Everett last Thursday. Both men are scheduled to be arraigned in Malden District Court Monday morning.

The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and Everett Police report that a robbery at Century Bank in Everett was in progress at 2:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon when officers responded. Upon the arrival of Everett Police officers, Giannino allegedly fled through a parking lot and into a waiting vehicle, allegedly driver by Chase, who allegedly accelerated toward the officer. With the vehicle speeding towards him, the Everett Police officer fired at the vehicle, striking Chase. Chase is also likely to be charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon for allegedly accelerating towards the officer with the car.

The car got away, but was eventually tracked to a home in Saugus, where Chase was located. He was eventually transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to be treated for his injuries.

Chelsea Woman Charged with Arson and Murder for Christmas Eve Fire

Published on: January 7, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Melissa Pfeiffer, 26, of Chelsea, Massachusetts, was arraigned and held without bail on charges of Murder and Arson for the Christmas Eve blaze at 295 Spruce Street in Chelsea that killed 20 year old Crystal Lynn Blanchard.

According to the Chelsea Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Pfeiffer, after an argument with her boyfriend, allegedly set his clothes on fire. The boyfriend had left the apartment to cool off, but when he returned, he found that his clothes had been set on fire. The fire, however, spread through their apartment building and grew to a three alarm fire that caused severe damage to the apartment building.

In a neighboring apartment, Crystal Lynn Blanchard was trapped inside; unable to escape, she eventually died within the apartment of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Her boyfriend, however, managed to jump from a second story window but did suffer from severe burns.

Lawrence Man Charged with Murder of 4-Month Old Son

Published on: January 6, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

The death of Alexis Medina Jr., 4 months, was initially believed to have been caused by Shaken Baby Syndrome by his father. Now, Essex County Prosecutors have charged the father, Alexis Medina, with Murder, alleging that he suffocating his son to death.

According to prosecutors and the Massachusetts State Police, Medina allegedly “intentionally” shoved the baby’s face into a pillow last Tuesday morning. He died the following day at Tufts Medical Center in Boston after doctors found him “brain dead”. An autopsy by the Medical Examiner’s Office also showed that the child had 11 ‘healing’ rib fractures.

Following his arrest, Medina spoke with Massachusetts State Police and stated that while the infant was facedown in his crib, he pushed down on his back in an effort to quiet him and get him to sleep. A few hours later, the Medina’s mother returned from work and found the infant not breathing, at which time 911 was called.