Chief Edward Walsh reports that the Taunton Police Department is actively investigating an armed home invasion on Morton Street that occurred Tuesday morning.

At approximately 6:30 a.m., Taunton Police were dispatched to a multi-family home on Morton Street after receiving a report of people being held against their will, possibly at gunpoint.

Officers responded to the home and walked into the front door of the building, which was halfway open.

The officers made a forced entry to the apartment and located a woman whose mouth was wrapped in duct tape and t-shirts. The woman was holding a small child. A man was also in the room on his knees with duct tape wrapped around his mouth.

Officers checked the victims to see if they were okay and then searched the rest of the apartment for the suspects. The victims were uninjured.

While searching the unit, officers outside observed multiple people jumping from the apartment windows onto the ground below. The suspects then fled toward the Taunton State Hospital.

No one else was found inside the apartment.

Upon searching in and around the apartment, two firearms and one magazine were
located and seized as evidence.

Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspects.

An undisclosed amount of money was taken from the victims.

The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information about the incident or who saw anyone fleeing in the area of the Taunton State Hospital are asked to call Taunton Police at 508-824-7522.

Michael Sloan likes to use data to solve puzzles.

In his new job as New Bedford Police Department’s first crime analyst, those puzzles can save lives.

In his new job, Mr. Sloan will convert data into patterns, recognizing and analyzing criminal activity to help police better utilize resources and target trends, with the goal of preventing crime.

“I am really excited to have Mr. Sloan as our first full time crime analyst, especially considering his high level of education and experience in data analytics,” Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro said.  “I look forward to the departmental progress and the impact that he will have on the utilization of our resources more effectively and efficiently. He is a great addition to our team. ”

Mr. Sloan is a native of New Zealand who moved to the Southcoast five years ago and to New Bedford two years ago.

He has a bachelor of arts degree in geography and political science from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand; a bachelor of arts in human geography from Macquarie University in Australia and a PhD in human geography from Macquarie University in Australia.

Prior to joining the New Bedford Police Department, he was an adjunct professor at Lasell College in Boston, where he developed a world geography course, focusing on globalization and human geography, and a GIS course utilizing project-based learning.
He also worked as an independent research and data analysis consultant, with clients including the Public Policy Center at UMass Dartmouth and the New Bedford Health Department.

He said he has enjoyed studying data analysis and teaching it but is especially looking forward to using these skills in a hands-on way to improve the city where he lives and is raising a family.

“Bringing skills to help the community, that’s important,” he said.

An old-time name reenters downtown New Bedford’s breakfast and lunch counter scene next week: The Lower Deck Restaurant, located at 455 County Street in the basement of New Bedford Public Schools’ Paul Rodrigues Administration Building (PRAB), will be having its anticipated reopening on Tuesday, January 29th to the public. Closed for 2 years since the retirement of Chef Brad Costa, The Lower Deck Restaurant is now under the direction of Chef Steven Miranda, who is serving as instructor of the Whaling City Junior/Senior High School’s Culinary Arts Program.

Mr. Miranda brings with him 25 years of experience in local restaurants and institutions in a variety of capacities and is driven to demonstrate to his students the opportunities inherent in the culinary arts. “Vocational education can be a gateway to a successful living for many of the students who attend Whaling City. However, many of them will not have the opportunity to attend Voc-Tech. This program furnishes them the opportunity to gain a life skill and a trade skill in the growing hospitality industry of greater New Bedford,” he said, noting “there are restaurants on the waterfront, in the downtown area and throughout the region. They all need staffing. We want to help provide that trained staff. Hopefully, our students will leave here with the experience and work ethic to get those jobs.”

Lower Deck Restaurant will be open on weekdays when school is in session, serving breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Like the Lower Deck Restaurant name, its traditional, low-cost menu is a throwback, too. The most expensive entrees run approximately $6.00. “The important thing is to give our students the skills they need. We just make enough in proceeds to cover our costs,” Chef Miranda said. “Staff of the PRAB building and outside guests alike can find a nice area to eat without leaving the building or resorting to fast food every day. Customers are educational opportunities for our students,” he said. “I want our students to realize, ‘I can do better, I deserve better’ …when better is possible, good enough is never enough. If they think that way, the possibilities are endless.”

ABC Disposal has informed the City of New Bedford that due to cold temperatures early this morning, they are experiencing delays on some of their routes in the North End of the city today, Tuesday, January 22, 2019. ABC will continue to collect until dark tonight. ABC asks any North End residents whose trash and/or recycling was not picked up on Tuesday to leave their receptacles on the street. ABC crews will complete any delayed routes tomorrow morning, Wednesday, January 23, 2019.

The New Bedford Police Department plans to invest $100,000 to keep police officers safe, part of New Bedford’s continued investment in front-line equipment to protect the officers who protect the community.

The expenditure includes the purchase of 40 active shooter kits. These kits contain ballistic protection for officers facing crisis situations and medical kits to render medical assistance to treat victims of these incidents. The investment also includes the purchase of radios and Tasers.

“This equipment is essential in enhancing our community’s safety as well ensuring our officers have the necessary protective equipment in the most critical events requiring a timely heroic response,” Chief Joseph Cordeiro said. “I appreciate Mayor Mitchell and the City Council’s continuous support.”

The proposal is part of an ongoing series of investments in public safety in New Bedford. Last month, Mayor Jon Mitchell announced a proposal to devote unused funds carried over from the previous fiscal year to invest in key public safety needs.

The public safety investments from the City’s free cash savings will go toward adding eight front-line police vehicles and a number of pre-owned vehicles for unmarked use to the Police Department’s fleet. The existing fleet of 68 police vehicles currently has an average age of eight years of service, despite previous rounds of upgrades, so continued vehicle investments remain a major priority for the Police Department.

The City Council will consider this expenditure, to be funded by a line item transfer and not by new tax revenue, at its next meeting.

Due to the continued frigid temperatures, the overflow at 71 Division Street will be opened again tonight.

All inquiries can be forwarded to 1-800-homeless and Sister Rose House.

A 31-year-old New Bedford man indicted late last year for assaulting, endangering and neglecting his infant daughter was found dangerous and ordered held without bail pending trial in Fall River Superior Court last week, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Robert P. Trommenschlager was indicted by a Bristol County Grand Jury in November on charges of reckless endangerment of a child, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child, retaliating against a witness, and assault and battery.

After being arraigned on the indictment in December, the defendant was the subject of a Superior Court Dangerousness Hearing on January 11th. On January 15th, Judge Raffi Yessayan found the defendant to be a danger and ordered him held without bail.

In May 2017, DCF was called regarding possible child neglect involving the defendant and his 2-month-old daughter. DCF investigators went to the defendant’s home and knocked on the door several times, but received no response. When the mother of the child eventually came home and let the DCF investigators inside the home, they immediately noticed smoke filling the entire apartment. DCF investigators reported that the smoke was not from cigarettes or marijuana. they said it wasn’t cigarette smoke or pot smoke.

Investigators eventually entered the bedroom and found the 2-month-old baby sitting alone in a swinging chair. The defendant then showed up at the apartment while DCF were inside.

DCF took the child to a daycare and had her washed. While washing the baby, they noticed what appeared to be burn marks on her and bruising along her back and the back of her head. The child was taken to an area hospital where doctors found a laceration in the back of the baby’s throat, consistent with a blunt object being forced into her mouth.

On a subsequent jail call the defendant made to the mother of the child, he is heard trying to convince her to take the blame because his criminal record is bad and will likely face a stiffer prison sentence if convicted.

The defendant is due back in court for trial date assignment on March 27.

The accusations against the defendant are only allegations at this time. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

“I am pleased the court ruled this defendant is a danger to the community and to the child based on these very serious and disturbing allegations,” District Attorney Quinn said. “The facts of the case and the defendant’s criminal record clearly establish that he should be detained without bail pending trial.”

At 2:08 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, New Bedford police officers responded to a disturbance at Tony’s Bar and Grill on 118 County St. on a report that a customer had thrown an object at a bartender, a 22-year-old New Bedford woman. No injuries were reported.

Police arrested 38-year old Felix Gomes of New Bedford on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

A Massachusetts State Police Trooper and a tow truck driver were struck and injured by a passing vehicle a short time ago while they were attending to a disabled motor vehicle on Route 95 north in Wakefield.

Both the Trooper and the tow driver have been transported by ambulance to Lahey Hospital in Burlington with non-life threatening injuries. They were outside of their own vehicles when struck. The vehicle that struck them then also struck the tow truck. Two motorists also may have sustained injuries believed at this time to be minor, but further details and information as to what vehicle(s) they were in are not yet available.

The Trooper who was struck was able to call in the crash himself on his radio, reporting he and the tow driver needed medical assistance.

The crash occurred at 6:11 a.m. north of Exit 40.

The facts and circumstances of the crash are under investigation, including whether road or weather conditions were factors. No charges have been filed at this point. The investigation is being conducted by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

A Massachusetts State Police Trooper and a tow truck driver were struck and injured by a passing vehicle a short time ago while they were attending to a disabled motor vehicle on Route 95 north in Wakefield.

Both the Trooper, a male, and the tow driver have been transported by ambulance to Lahey Hospital in Burlington with non-life threatening injuries. They were outside of their own vehicles when struck. The vehicle that struck them then also struck the tow truck. Two motorists also may have sustained injuries believed at this time to be minor, but further details and information as to what vehicle(s) they were in are not yet available.

The Trooper who was struck was able to call in the crash himself on his radio, reporting he and the tow driver needed medical assistance.

The crash occurred at 6:11 a.m. north of Exit 40.

The facts and circumstances of the crash are under investigation, including whether road or weather conditions were factors. No charges have been filed at this point. The investigation is being conducted by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

One lane is currently closed at the crash scene.