Massachusetts

Early fall vibes are here, but expect summer heat to make a return

August 21, 2024 by

Our weather has seemingly made a turn to autumn, but don’t get too excited Pumpkin Spice Latte fans. Summer returns in a couple of days.

In the meantime, it is a nice time to give the AC a break and open the windows up. Though, if you su…

New details on mom thought to have killed her baby in North Andover

August 21, 2024 by

Investigators looking into the deaths of a woman and her baby in North Andover, Massachusetts, have shared few details about what’s suspected to be a murder-suicide involving a knife.

The Essex County district attorney said Tuesday that the community is “still struggling to comprehend what went so terribly wrong” in the deaths of Jennifer T. Paez and her son, Valentino, and investigators haven’t said why they believe Paez would have killed her child. But court records on Paez shed some light on her previous interactions with law enforcement, and paint a picture of someone with mental health struggles.

On Dec. 10, 2022, she was arrested on suspicion of assault on a family member — her sister said she was being aggressive at her mother, and that both were afraid for their safety. The sister told officers, according to a police report, that Paez had bipolar disorder and wasn’t taking her medication, leading to erratic and aggressive behavior like shooting the family cat with a Nerf gun and vandalizing property.

Five days later, Paez was arrested on charges including reckless driving, failing to stop for police and disorderly conduct. Police said she had stopped her SUV on Broadway in Lawrence, causing a traffic jam, and then speeding away at 50-60 mph when officers went to investigate.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

When she eventually pulled over, more than half a mile away, Paez tried to kick officers, then yelled profanities at and threatened to fight police, according to the arrest report. One officer at police headquarters recognized her from previous encounters and said she had tried to die by suicide from jumping out of a moving vehicle.

Paez was evaluated at a hospital and eventually had a judge order that, if she complied with her medications and other pre-trial probation conditions, the charges would be dismissed. That would have taken place this Oct. 3.

Paez also had a history of driving offenses in Lawrence. In August 2009, she was behind the wheel in a car crash on Newton and found to have been driving without a license; she received probation. In September 2017, Paez was arrested for allegedly driving an uninsured vehicle on a suspended license in Lawrence; the charges were dismissed.

Paez and Valentino were found at a house on Turnpike Street Monday. Details were initially sparse, but investigators said Tuesday that they were went to the home after receiving a 911 call about 5:15 p.m. and found both the mother and the son with wounds, apparently caused by a knife.

The mother was pronounced dead at the home, while Valentino was taken to Lawrence General Hospital and pronounced dead at 6:30 p.m., authorities said.

Residents who live nearby have said the deaths were a shock.

More on the deaths of Jennifer and Valentino Paez

North Andover

Aug 20

Mom, baby dead in North Andover apparent murder-suicide IDed

North Andover

Aug 19

2 dead after ‘incident’ at North Andover home

Man sentenced to prison for stealing $32,000 in merchandise from Gucci store at Wrentham outlets

August 21, 2024 by

A Washington, D.C., man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Boston to stealing $32,000 worth of merchandise from a Gucci store in Massachusetts back in 2021.

Linworth Hayes Crawford III, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to eight months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. He must also pay $32,000 in restitution to the Gucci store at the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. He had pleaded not guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods.

Prosecutors say on the night of Sept. 16, 2021, Crawford and several other co-defendants traveled from the Washington, D.C., area to the Wrentham outlets and smashed the glass front door of the Gucci store, stealing $32,000 in high-end merchandise, including handbags, duffle bags, backpacks and sunglasses.

The day after the theft, one of the co-defendants allegedly posted on his Instagram account that he had Gucci bags available for sale. Images of the bags appeared to be identical to the ones stolen from the Wrentham store.

Crawford also took responsibility for a second, similar burglary at a Prada store in Dawsonville, Georgia, where another $37,000 in marchandise was stolen.

One of Crawford’s co-defendants, Nathaniel Owens, pleaded guilty in April 2024 and is awaiting sentencing, prosecutors said.