The volunteers had fun making malasadas at the New Bedford Portuguese Feast this past weekend!

Cute moment during the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament parade today – Uncle Sam made a balloon toy for a child watching from the sideline.

A routine trip by two New Bedford police officers to gas up a police vehicle ended with the rescue of a disoriented 66-year-old man who had been reported missing out of Fall River.

Officers Bryan dosAnjos and Paul Pires were driving to the city yard on Liberty Street for fuel at about 1:28 p.m. Monday when they were waved down by a city employee at Oak Grove Cemetery on Parker Street.

The employee was reporting that a man was making some young people who were volunteering at the cemetery uneasy. When the officers spoke to the man, he appeared confused and did not know where he was or how he had arrived there.

Further investigation by the officers determined that the man had been reported missing that morning by relatives in Fall River. He had last been heard from by family members the night before when he said he was headed to Taunton to visit a relative.

Family members were concerned because the man had several medical conditions.

The man was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital. Fall River Police and the man’s family were notified that he was found safe.

A 49-year-old Fall River man was sentenced to serve three years in state prison last week after being convicted of assaulting and attempting to strangle his pregnant girlfriend in December 2015, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced today.

Jose Delgado pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to a multi-count indictment charging him with aggravated assault and battery, strangulation of a pregnant woman, attempt to suborn perjury and intimidation of a witness.

On December 28, 2015 at 6 p.m., Somerset Police received a 911 call from the female victim, who reported a domestic assault in progress. The assault was occurring while she was traveling with the defendant in a motor vehicle from Fall River to a specific address in Somerset. During the call, dispatchers heard the victim repeatedly screaming, “get away from me” and “leave me alone”. It was clear from the telephone call that there was an ongoing physical assault. After a few moments, dispatchers lost contact with her.

When police arrived at the Somerset address, the victim physically upset and told police that the Defendant had repeatedly punched her in the face and strangled her by placing both hands around her neck. Police noted physical injury to her face and neck. She reported that the physical assault resulted from the defendant’s disbelief that the child she was carrying was his. She called 911 from the backseat of the Defendant’s car while he was driving. An independent witness, who was in the passenger seat during the incident, corroborated the victim’s statement.

The defendant fled as police were arriving but was arrested later that evening after returning to the scene.

On diverse dates and times between December 29, 2015 and January 2, 2016, the defendant, while held at the Bristol County House of Corrections, made calls urging family members to try to find out why the independent witness told police “everything”.

He also called the victim and warned her that he will most likely be held as a danger unless the victim comes to court and recants. In other conversations, the defendant tells the victim that he is “going to be in jail for a long time…I need you to try and do right thing and help me out, will you?” He further states that he “can’t tell you what to say because the phone is being recorded” and that “would hang me, but all that stuff in the police report did not happen, you understand, cause if that gets said, I’m done, I mean done!” “We’re talking years in jail here, not months, years.”

During a plea hearing before Judge Raffi Yessayan, Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Veenstra argued for a harsher four to six year state prison term. Judge Yessayan, however, sentenced the defendant to serve three years in state prison, to be follow by two years of supervised probation.

“This defendant has a history of committing violent crimes even at the age of 49. He even tried to prevent the domestic violence victim from coming to court,” District Attorney Quinn said. The victim and society need to be protected from this defendant.”

New Bedford Police and Fire Departments are investigating a suspicious fire reported early Tuesday at 140 Hathaway St. The fire to drapes in the home caused minor damage and was extinguished by the residents. Police were called to the scene at 1:45 a.m. No injuries were reported.

Though New Bedford police and fire haven’t determined if this fire is connected, the fire seems to matche the previous three fires in the north end of New Bedford over the past 2 weeks.

Click on the icons to get details with links to each fire.

The suspicious fires were on July 22 at 91 Adams Street, July 31 at 475 Coggeshall Street and Aug. 2 at 470 Sawyer Street. The previous fires were located within a few blocks of each other in the north end of New Bedford and within a 12 day period. They were also all set between 1:18am and 1:42am, less than a 30-minute window. This fourth fire was set at 1:45am.

The fire at 475 Coggeshall Street on July 31 was from someone setting a curtain on fire and which is similar to today’s fire involving someone setting a drape on fire.

Clearly, New Bedford has a arsonist on the loose.

Previously reported:

First, here’s a look at the basement fire on 470 Sawyer Street around 1:30am on Wednesday, August 2nd. The fire has been deemed suspicious by the New Bedford Fire Department and logged as arson in police records. All occupants were removed with no injuries.

Second, New Bedford police officers responded to reports of a structure fire at 1:18 a.m Saturday at 91 Adams St., a two-story building. When police arrived on scene, the rear of the structure was in flames.

Police helped a 74-year-old man escape the building. He was treated at the scene by medics. The blaze took several hours for the New Bedford Fire Department to extinguish. The building was a total loss. The Red Cross responded to the scene.

A joint investigation by the police department, fire department and the State Police determined the fire to be suspicious.

Third, the fire at 475 Coggeshall Street occurred at 1:42 a.m. when a curtain was set on fire and put out by the residents before NBFD arrived. Police and fire also consider this fire to be suspicious.

All videos by Carlos Pimentel Felix.

Senator Mark Montigny hosted British Consul General Harriet Cross in New Bedford to explore possible future collaborations among economic and cultural sectors. A small roundtable discussion held at the New Bedford Whaling Museum kick started the day where local economic and cultural stakeholders discussed the burgeoning renaissance of New Bedford’s economy and thriving arts community. Commercial fishing, offshore wind and a shared heritage of rich arts and cultural connections dominated much of the discussion. Consul General Cross then received a tour of the recently restored Seamen’s Bethel followed by a sneak preview of the new SMAST facility in the South End of the city, guided by Dean Stephen Lohrenz.

Consul General Cross serves as the most senior UK official in the Boston Consulate General, which serves under the UK Embassy. She represents the UK government and performs a variety of official duties, including visa and trade activities in Boston and the surrounding region. Last November, Consul General Cross personally interviewed Senator Montigny’s Director of Community Affairs, Jacob Miller, for the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. That same month, Jacob was awarded the scholarship out of a pool of 946 endorsed applicants. Jacob then introduced Harriet Cross to Senator Montigny to help expand her contacts throughout the Commonwealth to include New Bedford as a prime destination for commerce, culture and tourism.

British Consul General Harriet Cross with New Bedford’s Mayor Jon Mitchell

“It was an honor and privilege to be able to help introduce Consul General Cross to our beloved city,” said Senator Montigny, a long time leader in building a thriving New Bedford arts and culture landscape. “It is my hope that today’s introduction will serve as a catalyst for future partnerships in offshore wind, arts, culture and tourism as well as a long lasting and fruitful relationship between our community and the Consul General.”

Senator Montigny and Consul General Cross were joined during today’s visit by Rick Kidder of the New Bedford Chamber of Commerce, Tony Sapienza of NBEDC and Joseph Abboud Manufacturing, Lee Blake of the New Bedford Historical Society, Lee Heald of AHA!, Fred Toomey of the New Bedford Port Society, and Michelle Taylor, Christina Connett, and Sarah Rose of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

New Bedford Police arrested Odilio Benique, 40, 90 Main St. Apt. 1, Fairhaven, Monday at 1:09 a.m. for two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, larceny over $250 and assault and battery.

Benique assaulted two men, ages 38 and 19, with a knife as they attempted to stop him from stealing tires and rims from their backyard on Welcome Street.

The 38-year-old male was injured in the chest and arm and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was treated and released. The other male was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was treated and released.

The tires and rims were discovered in a driveway on Welcome Street. A face mask and narcotics were also found in the area.

A second male was possibly involved in the incident. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call New Bedford Police at 508-991-6350 or the anonymous tip line at 508-992-7463 or e-mail tip@newbedfordpd.com.

Video by Carlos Pimental Felix.

A 35-year-old Fall River man with an extensive criminal record was sentenced to serve four to six years in state prison after pleading guilty last week to a litany of charges related to the theft of a motor vehicle in Fall River last May, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Sean Lane pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to a multi-count indictment charging him with two counts of a larceny of a firearm, two counts of carrying an illegal firearm, two counts of carrying a loaded illegal firearm, and one count each of larceny of a motor vehicle, vandalism, breaking into a motor vehicle to commit a felony, and larceny over $250.

On May 4, 2016, at approximately 11:03 PM, Fall River Police responded to the Super Stop & Shop on Rodman Street to meet with the victim. Upon exiting the Stop & Shop, the victim found his car stolen. Inside of the car was approximately $700 and two loaded legal firearms.

The next morning, the victim’s car was recovered with the front passenger window smashed and bleach poured in the vehicle. Video surveillance captured a male dumping the car.

On May 10, 2016, while investigating other car breaks, a Fall River Police officer recognized the defendant from the flyer and brought the defendant in for questioning.

The defendant admitted to police that he stole the vehicle. He also admitted that he searched the car before he dumped it and found a couple hundred bucks in the console along with two guns (silver .38 revolver & black semi-auto) that he sold to a man in New Bedford for $400 and crack-cocaine.

The alleged buyer of the guns in New Bedford, Jorge Duarte, 23, was subsequently arrested and his case remains open and pending at this time.

During a plea hearing before Judge Thomas McGuire, Assistant District Attorney Michael Cahillane argued for a six to eight year state prison term based in part on the fact that the defendant has been convicted during the past two decades of larceny, assault & battery, drug offenses, ID fraud, malicious destruction to a motor vehicle, breaking and entering, uttering, forgery, 209A violations, shoplifting and receiving stolen property.

The defendant requested a three to four year prison term.

“This defendant has a lengthy history of criminal activity and committed these offenses while on probation,” District Attorney Quinn said. “Hopefully, the sentence imposed by the court will protect the public from the defendant for up to 6 years.”

Walter J. Nencka, 46, of Warren, R.I., was arrested at 2:10 a.m. on Monday for OUI liquor third offense after being found asleep in his idling vehicle at the 200-block of Union Street. Nencka was determined to be under the influence of alcohol.

He was previously convicted of OUI liquor in 1994 in Massachusetts and 2008 in Rhode Island.

Beautiful Clydesdale horses during the New Bedford Portuguese Feast parade on Sunday.