police & fire

14 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, December 30, 2022 POLICE FIRE& Two-alarm fire in Westborough displaces five residents

Westborough Fire Department and its mutual aid partners extinguished a two-alarm house fire early Saturday morning

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WESTBOROUGH FIRE DEPARTMENT

By Maureen Sullivan Senior Reporter WESTBOROUGH - Five residents have been displaced following a fire believed to be caused by a faulty fireplace.

The Westborough Fire Department and its mutual aid partners responded to a twoalarm house fire at 11 Chauncy Circle at 1:23 a.m. on Dec. 17, ac-

21 APEX DRIVE | MARLBOROUGH, MA

142 APEX DRIVE | MARLBOROUGH, MA cording to Chief Patrick Purcell.

Firefighters arrived to find smoke showing from the single-family wood frame home that dates to the 1930s. Residents were awakened by smoke detectors and had evacuated.

The fire was under control by about 2:10 a.m. Crews cleared the scene at about 4:03 a.m.

There were no reported injuries. One person who was inside the home was evaluated by paramedics at the scene.

The home sustained extensive damage, estimated at $150,000. Five residents were displaced.

An investigation by the Westborough Fire Investigation Unit has preliminarily determined the cause of the fire was a faulty fireplace. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

“A fire in the early morning hours can be especially dangerous. In this case working smoke detectors gave residents critical seconds to leave the house, and prevented what could have been severe injury or even a tragedy,” Purcell said. “We ask residents to regularly check their alarms to make sure they are in good working order.”

The Northborough, Southborough, Hopkinton and Shrewsbury fire departments provided mutual aid at the scene. The Grafton Fire Department covered Westborough Fire Headquarters.

Purcell and the Westborough Fire Department thank their mutual aid partners for their swift and professional response.

Marlborough man charged with trafficking firearms in Westborough

By Laura Hayes Managing Editor WESTBOROUGH - A Marlborough man has been arrested after he allegedly trafficked firearms in Westborough.

Andriel Guillen-Perez, 23, has been charged with trafficking firearms, sell/transfer large capacity firearm and possession of a firearm without firearms identification card.

According to the statement of facts filed in Westborough District Court, Guillen-Perez has made three illegal firearm sales with a confidential informant since Oct. 18.

According to court documents, Guillen-Perez lived in Westborough when the transactions were made.

The informant and GuillenPerez allegedly met on Oct. 18 at the Westborough Shopping Center for the sale of a Taurus GX4 9 mm pistol for $1,500 along with 11 rounds of ammunition.

A week later on Oct 25, they met again, and Guillen-Perez sold a Polymer 9 mm pistol for $1,300, the statement of facts read. On Nov. 9, the pair met again and the informant was sold a Polymer 9 mm pistol and an extended large capacity 31-round magazine for $1,300.

Police wrote that GuillenPerez does not have a license to carry, a firearms identification card or a license to sell firearms in the state.

“Based on the above facts, I believe that there is a high likelihood that Andriel is still continuing his business,” police wrote in the statement of facts.

According to a press release from Westborough police, members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Westborough Police Detective Bureau, and Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section arrested Guillen-Perez in Marlborough on Dec. 16.

He was arraigned in Westborough District Court on Dec. 16 where he entered a plea of not guilty.

His bail was set at $50,000 surety bond or $5,000 cash. However, a petition has been filed to review his bail has been filed.

Guillen-Perez will return to court on Jan. 13 for a probable cause hearing.

115 APEX DRIVE | MARLBOROUGH, MA

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POLICE FIRE& Police deal with motor vehicle break-ins in Westborough

Man charged with enticing 13-year-old girl in Marlborough

By Maureen Sullivan Senior Reporter WESTBOROUGH - The Westborough Police Department has reported several vehicle break-ins over the past couple of weeks, both in residential neighborhoods and commercial areas.

On Sunday, Dec. 18, police received reports of break-ins at the Westborough Tennis & Swim Club at 35 Chauncy St., and Release Wellbeing at 201 Turnpike Road.

At the club, property was reportedly removed from two vehicles. At Release, two more vehicles were broken into.

Police offer several ways to prevent vehicle break-ins. They advised residents to lock their vehicles and windows, park in well-lit areas and hide their valuables. Further, police recommended that drivers shouldn’t leave the keys in their vehicle and not to leave their car while it’s running.

For information, call the Police Department at 508-4754800, or visit https://www.town. westborough.ma.us/police

Three-vehicle crash led to Route 20 shutdown

By Caroline Gordon Reporter SHREWSBURY - Drivers on Route 20 in Shrewsbury faced delays after the roadway was shut down for four hours after a three-vehicle crash on Dec. 20.

According to Shrewsbury Lt. Nick Perna, Shrewsbury police and firefighters along with Worcester EMS responded to Route 20 near Flynn’s Truck Stop at about 11:45 a.m.

When police arrived, they found two freightliner tractortrailer units with heavy front end damage and a 2016 Toyota Rav4 that rolled over, Perna said.

According to Perna, the initial reports indicated that the driver of the Toyota Rav4 was entering the travel lane when it collided with a freightliner that was driving eastbound, which forced the freightliner into the westbound lane. It collided head on with another freightliner.

The impact reportedly caused the SUV to roll into an adjacent parking lot, he said.

At the time, Shrewsbury police cautioned drivers that the road was closed. This stretch of Route 20 was ultimately

By Maureen Sullivan Senior Reporter

MARLBOROUGH - A man was arrested on Dec. 17, on charges he tried to entice a 13-year-old girl for sex.

According to information provided by the Marlborough Police Department, at around 2 p.m., officers went to Marlborough High School after receiving information that an older man would be meeting with a 13-year-old girl named “Summer.”

The man, identified as Richard Merrill, had exchanged messages with “Summer;” police said he indicated that “he wanted to engage in sexual relations with her.”

“The source provided all chat logs to the department detailing the sexual advances Merrill wanted to perform when they meet,” according to police.

Officers located Merrill at the high school. He was in a Honda CRV and showed signs of intoxication.

Merrill was taken into custody, and he has been charged with enticement of a child and OUI liquor, third offense.

He was arraigned in Marlborough District Court on Dec 19. Bail was set with conditions of release. closed for about four hours while officers from the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Crash Reconstruction Team responded and the Environmental Protection Agency treated the roadway for large amounts of fuel and oil.

The driver of the Toyota was transported to UMass Memorial Health with what Perna described as level two trauma, and one of the drivers of the freightliners was transported for the treatment of lower back pain. The other was reportedly uninjured.

The crash remains under investigation.

Scan QR code to read this week’s police logs Marlborough firefighters respond to residential fire

By Ron Ayotte Contributing Writer MARLBOROUGH - The Marlborough Fire Department was called to a structure fire this afternoon.

The fire at 391 Farm Road was reported at 4:48 p.m.

Engine 3, Engine 1, Engine 5, Rescue 1, Tower 1 and Car 5 responded to the initial alarm. Patriot EMS responded to the scene with an ambulance. Engine 3 was the first truck due on scene and reported smoke and fire from the rear of the house with possible extension to the attic space.

The box for a working fire was transmitted. Marlborough Car 1 and Car 2 responded to the scene as did Southborough Fire Engine 22 as the Rapid Intervention Team. The Hudson and Sudbury fire departments provided station coverage.

Crews from Eversource and National Grid were requested to respond to the scene to shut off the utilities. The fire was extinguished, and the walls and ceilings in the fire area were opened up to ensure that the fire had not spread to other parts of the structure.

The Marlborough Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit was requested to come to the scene to determine the cause. The box was recalled at 8 p.m. Damage estimates are being assessed.

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