On Saturday, January 12, at about 8:15 p.m., Wareham police officer Nate Aronson was approached on Main Street by three individuals who had observed a male exposing himself and committing a lewd act. The man was working as an attendant at Joe’s Gas and Officer Aronson also observed the same activity upon his arrival within seconds.

The male was placed under arrest and transported to police headquarters for processing. Abdelfadel Mziouak, 45, of New Bedford is being charged with two counts of open and gross lewdness. He is expected to appear in Wareham District Court on Monday morning.

On Jan. 10 at 8:07pm, New Bedford police officers responded to a report that a 38-year old male and 39-year old female had overdosed the same North Front Street apartment. Both received medical attention at the scene and were transported to St. Luke’s for further evaluation. Thirty minutes later, New Bedford police responded to another overdose at a Ruth Street apartment.

These overdoses follow the worst overdose period in New Bedford so far in 2019 where four overdoses occurred over a 20 hour period last Tuesday and Wednesday. Three of the four overdoses were at the same South First Street address.

If you have a problem with addiction visit https://helplinema.org/ or call 800.327.5050.

“Calling all cAHs…Calling all cAHs

Since Sheriff Buford T. Justice is currently away on business, DPD has been tasked with identifying this guy, who we have affectionately named ‘Smokey the Bandit.’

At approximately 5:15 p.m. yesterday afternoon, ‘Smokey’ entered Dartmouth Gas, where he presented a knife and demanded money and some smokes.

After fleeing the scene with a little cheddAH in his pocket and a couple packs of smokes to pollute his lungs, ‘Smokey’ fled towards New Bedford on foot (and not in a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with Sally Field by his side).

If anyone has information that can help us identify this guy, you can either call Cledus on your CB radio, or call Detective Kyle Costa at 508-910-1755…your choice.

Over and out good buddy!

PLEASE SHARE!!: – Dartmouth Police Department

On Wednesday, Jan. 9, New Bedford Police narcotics unit detectives were investigating street-level narcotics sales in the north end when they observed a suspected drug transaction among individuals in a vehicle in the area of 3 Bullard Street. Police officers arrested three individuals around 1 pm:

– Jose G. Santiago, 20, of New Bedford, was arrested on charges of possession of class A substance with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

– Chelsea President, 28, of Taunton, was arrested on charges of possession of class A substance, possession of class B substance, conspiracy to violate drug laws and three counts of possession of class E substance.

– John A. Rodriques, 45, of Fairhaven, was arrested on charges of possession of class A substance, possession of class B substance and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

According to New Bedford police records, there were three drug overdoses at the same South First Street address in New Bedford in a 16 hour period. One man overdosed twice – within 12 hours.

On Jan. 8, at 9:19am, 34-year old women overdosed at the South First Street address and was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment. Three hours later, a 50-year old man overdosed at the same address at 12:13pm and was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment. At 1:19am on Jan. 9, roughly 13 hours later, the same 50-year old man overdosed and was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment. There are no details on when he was released.

New Bedford police report that all of the overdoses happened at the same South First Street, but do not have details on the apartment numbers. There are three apartments at that address.

A New Bedford woman with a history of defaults who failed to show to court on two previous shoplifting cases and for a third case of misuse of a credit card was released without bail Tuesday, Jan. 8 by Judge Sabine Coyne at Third District Court.

She was released without bail despite a request by the assistant district attorney that she be held on the three open charges.

Elizabeth Pina, 37, of Kempton St. New Bedford, was arrested by New Bedford Police on a charge of shoplifting Tuesday, Jan. 8 after she stole more than $125 worth of items from Rite-Aid Pharmacy, 824 Purchase St.

Prior to that, she was most recently arrested last Friday Jan. 4 for seven outstanding warrants and released.

She has a long history of failing to show for court, with 18 defaults on her record. She failed to show to court for an Oct. 23, 2018 arraignment on shoplifting and an Aug. 16, 2018 arraignment on shoplifting and misuse of a credit card.

Pina was also charged on a warrant arrest because of her open cases.

Despite her lengthy record and the request of the district attorney’s office, Pina remains free.

Hours after being released without bail by Judge Edward Sharkansky despite breaking into four businesses in less than three weeks, the suspect broke into yet another business Monday night.

Adrian Lablue, 23, no known address, was released without bail Monday, Jan. 7 by Judge Edward Sharkansky at Third District Court despite facing 12 charges in connection with four break-ins into businesses in the city’s South End and not having a mailing address.

Judge Sharkansky released Lablue without bail, denying a request by the district attorney’s office that he be held on $10,000 bail in light of the severity of the charges he faced, having no mailing address and having defaulted court twice.

Lablue faced 12 charges in connections with four separate break-ins. Those charges were: four counts of wanton destruction of property over $1,200; four counts of larceny from a building; and four counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony.

Those breaks were:

• Dec. 18, Jimmy’s Pizza, 757 Brock Avenue. Lablue broke a glass window valued at $1,200 and stole a cash register valued at $400 and $200 in cash.

• Jan. 1, a second break at Jimmy’s Pizza, 757 Brock Avenue. He broke a glass window, requiring $400 to fix, and stole a new cash register valued at $650, which replaced the register he previously destroyed.

• Jan. 4, Inner Bay restaurant, 1339 Cove Road, Lablue stole $250 in cash from the register and damaged a specialty window that cost $1,500 to replace.

• Jan. 5, a second break at Inner Bay, Lablue broke glass and took $250 cash from the register.

A warrant has been issued for Lablue on new charges of breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony, vandalizing property and larceny from a building after police responded to a break at Seabra Supermarket, 41 Rockdale Ave. at about 11:46 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7.

He broke a panel of the wall and stole nearly $600 worth of items.

He is being charged with felony breaking and entering in the nighttime, vandalizing property and larceny from a building.

“I am very disappointed in this decision as it has impacted our community,” New Bedford Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro said. “I share our officers’ frustrations when they do their due diligence, and in many cases put their well-being in jeopardy to apprehend individuals and prevent further victimization, only to see criminals being released to continue violating our residents. ” 

On Monday, January 7, 2019 at approximately 7:50 p.m., members of the Dartmouth Police Department, as well as other emergency personnel, responded to a motor vehicle crash in the area of #671 State Road.

Upon arrival, officers discovered that a 2000 Ford Excursion had rolled over, and that the operator, identified as John BERUBE, 35, of Fall River had been injured, and was lying on the ground near the vehicle.

As a result of the crash, Route 6 was closed in both directions, and BERUBE was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

As the vehicle was reported stolen, and also involved in an earlier incident in New Bedford, BERUBE faces charges in both Dartmouth and New Bedford.

The crash was investigated by the Dartmouth Police Department Crash Reconstruction Unit.

A 22-year-old Taunton man who fled the scene of an August 2018 traffic accident while in possession of an illegal firearm was sentenced to serve up to five-and-a-half years in state prison Wednesday in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Ward Tavares, Jr. pleaded guilty to a multi-count indictment, charging him with leaving the scene of property damage, carrying an illegal firearm with an obliterated serial number, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, carrying an illegal firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.

On August 8, 2018, officers from the Taunton Police Department responded to 434 Weir Street for a report of a car accident. When officers arrived on scene, they saw that a Black BMW in the driveway of 434 Weir Street on top of a chain linked fence. The officers also learned that prior to damaging the chain link fence, the BMW struck a parked Ford SUV on Weir Street. Several civilians alerted the police that the sole occupant and operator of the BMW fled the scene without exchanging any information with the two property victims.

The police ran the registration of the BMW and found that it came back to the defendant. A witness later viewed a photographic array at the Taunton Police Station and identified Mr. Tavares as the operator of the BMW at the time of the accident. While towing the vehicle, police found a backpack inside the car, which contained a .45 caliber semi-automatic firearm with an obliterated serial number and eighteen loose bullets inside.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jason Mohan and the four to five-and-a-half-year state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Mark Hallal.

“This defendant was a convicted felon who had no business in possessing an illegal firearm. In addition, his license was suspended and he caused an accident in attempting to flee from the police,” District Attorney Quinn said. “This defendant is a danger to the community and needs to be kept off the street. Hopefully, this sentence will protect the public.”

At approximately 11:15 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2019, the Taunton Police Department received a 911 call for an assault at 9A Wilson Street in the City of Taunton. When police arrived, they determined that the injured party was no longer on scene and had been transported to Morton Hospital and then med-flighted to Rhode Island Hospital due to his injuries.

31-year-old Justin Paulo, of Taunton, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at Rhode Island Hospital at approximately 8:30 am on Sunday.

A police investigation by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and the Taunton Police Department continues in this matter.