Massachusetts State Police find woman’s body in Logan Airport garage, suspect flees to Kenya

“The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police announce that an arrest warrant has been obtained for a Lowell man suspected of killing a Whitman woman whose body was located last night in a garage at Logan Airport. The victim had been reported missing by her family on Monday and was the subject of a missing person investigation.

At approximately 6:30 PM Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, Massachusetts State Troopers assigned to the Logan Airport Barracks located a vehicle occupied by a deceased adult female in the Central Parking garage at Logan Airport. A subsequent investigation by the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County and State Police Troop F Detectives confirmed that the victim was the missing Whitman woman, Margaret Mbitu, 31. Evidence indicates that she was the victim of a homicide.


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The investigation identified the suspect as KEVIN KANGETHE, 40, of Lowell and determined that he had boarded a flight to Kenya. State Police Detectives obtained a warrant charging KANGETHE with Ms. Mbitu’s homicide and are working with Kenyan authorities to locate KANGETHE.

The investigation into the facts and circumstances of the homicide are ongoing. The investigation indicates that KANGETHE and Ms. Mbitu knew each other and that the homicide was not a random act. There is no threat to the public or to Logan Airport travelers. No further information is being released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation.

It has come to our attention that media outlets have shown up at the Mbitu family home in Whitman. Please be advised that the family requests privacy at this time. We respectfully ask any media at the residence to leave.”-Massachusetts State Police.


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California man sentenced for threatening to use taser, pistol on woman at Massachusetts University

“California man has been sentenced for making threatening communications to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) in May 2021.

Sammy Sultan, 50, of Hayward, Calif., was sentenced on Oct. 26, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Sultan pleaded guilty to one count of making threats in interstate commerce.

On or about May 28, 2021, Sultan made eight phone calls to TUPD, six of which included specific threats. During the calls, which collectively lasted about an hour, Sultan claimed to be hiding beneath a bed in a dorm room with a taser and pistol somewhere on campus. Sultan stated that he intended to use the taser if a woman returned to the dorm room and discovered him hiding. During the calls, Sultan played the sounds of a taser activating and a pistol racking – a pistol’s chamber being emptied and reloaded.

TUPD and local police carried out a room-by-room search of numerous buildings on Tufts University’s Medford campus but failed to locate the caller. A subsequent investigation of electronic evidence determined that Sultan had made the calls from California. A law enforcement officer familiar with Sultan’s voice from a prior investigation recognized Sultan’s voice on the TUPD call recordings.

Sultan previously pleaded guilty in December 2017 in the Northern District of California to making hundreds of obscene and harassing phone calls to law enforcement agencies and was sentenced to two years in prison.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Tufts University Police Department; Massachusetts State Police; Illinois State Police; and the Medford, Somerville, North Andover, Malden and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.”-Massachusetts Departent of Justice.



U.S.P.S. letter carrier assaulted and robbed in Medford, Massachusetts

” On Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at around 11:40 a.m., the Medford Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call regarding an assault that had just occurred in the vicinity of Arden Rd at Winthrop Street.

Upon arrival, officers found a USPS letter carrier with apparent facial injuries. The letter carrier was assaulted by three individuals while on his route. The suspects took a post office key from the victim and then fled toward the area of Playstead Rd to an awaiting vehicle. The suspect vehicle was later located in Lowell and a number of individuals inside were identified. No arrests have been made at this time as the investigation is extremely fluid and ongoing.

The letter carrier was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

This incident is being investigated by the Medford Police Department in conjunction with the United States Postal Inspection Service.”-Medford Police Department.



Today marks the 19th anniversary of New Bedford man’s unsolved Halloween murder

On October 31st, 2004, at approximately 8:25pm, Cecil Lopes was shot and killed on Chancery Street near United Front Housing Project in New Bedford. Witnesses stated the shots were fired from a vehicle. Lopes was only 18 years old when he was murdered and was a business student at UMass Dartmouth.

Less than a year later on July 4th, 2005, there was a murder in Monte Park in New Bedford which was later found out to be retaliation for the murder of Cecil Lopes. John C. Burgos was sentenced to 15-17 years in state prison after admitting to the retaliation murder in a recorded conversation from his jail cell.

Burgos, while incarcerated on unrelated gun and drug charges, engaged in conversation with a friend who was also detained. The conversation was recorded pursuant to a court order. During the approximately one hour conversation, the Burgos admitted to killing Mr. Haywood with William Payne, who is now deceased. The defendant explained that he and Payne went to the Monte Park area to kill someone from the area, that Mr. Haywood was the first such person they saw and consequently it was his “judgment day.”

While there was a retaliation murder, it is not believed that the individual was the suspect in the murder of Cecil Lopes, which leaves us here 19 years later with no resolution.

If you have any information on this case please call 1-855-MA-SOLVE.



New Bedford man arrested on cocaine trafficking charges for 2nd time in 4 years

NEW BEDFORD – Detectives have arrested a local man for trafficking in crack cocaine.

On October 19th, detectives assigned to the “Organized Crime Intelligence Bureau” concluded an investigation into a cocaine delivery service being operated by Mr. JOE CHAMBERLAIN, 36 of New Bedford out of his apartment. A search warrant was executed at his address.

As a result of the search, over 52 grams of crack cocaine was discovered along with a digital scale and packaging materials. CHAMBERLAIN was also found to be in possession of over ten thousand dollars in cash which was seized as a result of the nature of his charges. He was taken into custody and charged with trafficking in crack cocaine in excess of 36 grams.

CHAMBERLAIN has previous convictions for narcotics-related charges including possession with intent to distribute class A in 2016, and cocaine trafficking in 2019.

Detective Drew Frenette was the lead investigator on the case.



Video captures porch pirate stealing 4-year-old girl’s toys in New Bedford

The holiday season is almost here, which unfortunately means we will see an uptick in porch pirates stealing from hard working individuals. When ordering items that are expensive please remember to require signature at the door or get it dropped off at an Amazon locker in the area.

It is also beneficial to have security cameras on your door just incase a package was never delivered, or worse, it was stolen off of your front porch.

We received a video from last Thursday of a porch pirate climbing over a railing and stealing an Amazon package off of a New Bedford resident’s property. That item happened to be their 4 year old daughter’s toy and towel.

Watch below and please contact NBPD if you recognize this individual. I’m sure his family is proud of what an outstanding citizen this young man has become!



New Bedford Police respond to shots fired in west end, one person with multiple gunshot wounds

A man was shot in the west end of New Bedford around 11pm Thursday night. Unofficial reports tell us the man was in his 20s and shot in the leg, arm, and chest.

The New Bedford Police released a statement following the situation,

Last night at around 11 PM, patrol units responded to a ShotSpotter activation in the area of Chancery St. and Middle St. Upon arrival, it was discovered that an adult male victim had been shot. He was transported to the hospital for treatment and is in stable condition at this time. Detectives arrived on the scene to further investigate.



Maine expanding “Shelter in Place” and school closings while searching for mass shooter

As of 7:15 Thursday morning, the mass shooter responsible for at least 22 deaths and dozens of injuries in Lewiston, Maine is still on the loose. Maine State Police are expanding the “shelter in place” advisory and school closings during the search for the dangerous suspect.

There were early rumors that the suspect had been caught and detained by police, those rumors are not accurate, the suspect has yet to be located. His car was found abandoned in Lisbon, Maine which expanded the shelter in place to those surrounding areas.

According to reporting from CNN,

“Lewiston police have identified 40-year-old Robert Card of Bowdoin as a person of interest, saying he should be “considered armed and dangerous.” Law enforcement officials in Maine say Card is a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army Reserve. Card had recently made threats to carry out a shooting at a National Guard facility in Saco, Maine, and also reported mental health issues, including hearing voices, the officials said.”

Below is an eye witness account of when the deadly shooting began in a Lewiston bowling alley.



At least 22 people have been killed in a Mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine

There have been several reports of a mass shooting resulting in at least 22 deaths and dozens of injuries in Lewiston, Maine.

Several news sources have confirmed that the current death count as of 10pm Wednesday night is 22.

There are rumors on social media that an arrest has been made but that has yet to be confirmed by police.



27-year-old New Bedford Fentanyl trafficker convicted at trial and imprisoned

“A 27-year-old Providence, RI man arrested in New Bedford in early 2021 with thousands of dollars worth of fentanyl and cocaine was convicted by a jury of his peers last week of narcotics trafficking charges, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Yamil Velazquez-Acevedo, after a two-day trial in Fall River Superior Court, was convicted of Trafficking Fentanyl and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. He was immediately sentenced by Judge Thomas McGuire to serve five to seven years in state prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gillian Kirsch.

On January 5, 2021, New Bedford Police narcotics detectives observed this defendant pick up a male pedestrian, drive around the block, and drop off that pedestrian in the same location. Police stopped the car and the defendant was identified as the operator of the vehicle.

In the front seat, police observed $960 in cash scattered in the front seat area of the car. In one cup holder, police located a knotted corner bag with pills. In the other cup holder, police located a diet coke can which they quickly realized was manipulated and was being used as a drug hide. Inside the hide, police located four bags of cocaine weighing 3.64 grams and 31 bags of fentanyl weighing 37 grams.

After advising the defendant of his Miranda rights, the defendant stated that he had just met with a male who gave him the soda can and told him he would call him in 20 minutes with a drop off location and that he was being paid $150 to deliver the can. The pills turned out to be pressed fentanyl pills.

“I am pleased the jury held the defendant accountable for delivering thousands of dollars worth of fentanyl, which is causing many people misery, suffering and senseless deaths,” District Attorney Quinn said.”