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Original Post: 10:02AM / Saturday January 23, 2016

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police are investigating what appears to be a murder after a Springfield man was found dead on Fenn Street early Saturday morning.

 

The district attorney's office say at about 1:30 a.m. police responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive man near 129 Fenn Street —  near Lach's Lounge, across the street from City Hall, and less than 100 yards from the police station.

 

Officers found 30-year-old James Dominguez III laying on the ground and first responders were unable to revive him. He was transported to Berkshire Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

 

Police suspect the Springfield man was murdered and are seeking information pertaining to the events leading to his death. An autopsy will be conducted by the chief medical examiner in Holyoke to determine the cause of death but a time has not yet been scheduled.

 

Police are asking for anyone with information to call them at 413-448-9700.

 

According to Berkshire Superior Court records, Dominguez III pleaded guilty seven weeks ago to two counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws, and single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

 

Those charges related to a search warrant executed on Columbus Avenue on September 25, 2014. He was arrested with two other Springfield men in that raid which police seized 300 bags of heroin, around 50 grams of cocaine, and $4,000 cash. 

 

He was ordered to serve concurrent 261-day sentences at the Berkshire County House of Correction, which was time he already served awaiting the outcome of the case.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police are investigating two more robberies.

 

Police say Angelina's Sub Shop on Elm Street and Subway on Tyler Street were both robbed Saturday night, less than a half hour apart.

 

At about 7:48 p.m. a suspect described as a light skinned white male, mid twenties to early thirties, approximately 6-feet tall, weighing approximately 200 pounds, with a thin build robbed the Subway at gunpoint. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, light colored mask, dark colored pants, and dark colored gloves.

 

About 20 minutes later, a white man in his mid-twenties standing about 5'10'' tall and weighing about 175 with a skinny build held up Angelina's. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, light colored mask, dark colored pants, and dark colored gloves as well.

 

The suspect was seen leaving Angelina's up Northunberland Road and is believed to have entered a pick-up truck. 

 

No one was injured in either case and Police suspect the same person robbed both locations. Anyone with information is asked to call the Detective Bureau at 448-9705.

 

The robberies are the 11th and 12th in the last two months.

 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A defective brake light led police to finding more than 500 packets of heroin and $1,650 in cash during a traffic stop.

 

State Police say on Thursday at 6 p.m. troopers pulled over a blue Honda sedan on South Street for the defective light. The vehicle took a quick left turn and sped away for several hundred yards. Upon pulling the vehicle over, troopers found 10 packets of heroin on owner Joseph Walker, 42, of Pittsfield and then another 500 packets inside the vehicle, with an estimated value of $20,200.

 

The passenger, Derrick Laforest, 33, of Pittsfield, was found to have $1,640 of cash in his possession. Laforest is also accused of repeatedly threatening a trooper at the Cheshire Barracks. A juvenile female was also in the vehicle and arrested.

 

Laforest was held on $100,000 bail, Walker on $50,000 bail, and the juvenile on $5,000. Laforest and Walker were transported to the Berkshire County House of Correction and the juvenile to an alternative lock up program in Springfield.

 

Laforest is facing charges of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, trafficking in heroin, conspiracy to violate drug laws, and witness intimidation. Walker was charges with possession of heroin with intent to distribute - a subsequent offense - conspiracy of violate drug laws and brake light violation. The juvenile was charged with trafficking in heroin and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

 

Timothy Gill, 38, of Pittsfield pleaded not guilty to a single count of murder.

 

He was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without the right to bail. He is accused of murdering his wife Halena Irene Gill, 37, whose body was found inside of their apartment on December 15, 2015.

 

Lexus Perez, 21, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

 

He was ordered to be held on $2,000 bail. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at his home on October 8, 2015.

 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

 

Jeffrey Benoit Jr., 26, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of burning a swelling house, and single counts of burning a motor vehicle and burning personal property.

 

He was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without the right to bail. The charges stem from incidents in Pittsfield on December 1, 2015.

 

Joshua Capitanio, 33, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of an internal machine, reckless endangerment of a child, and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card.

 

The charges are in connection with an incident in Pittsfield on March 3, 2015. He was placed on two-years probation.

 

Ryan Garvey, 41, of Adams had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf on a single count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

 

The charge stems from the execution of a search warrant on his home on December 4, 2015. He was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $2,500 bail.

 

Samuel Rivera, 20, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a loaded firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

 

He was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $5,000 bail. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on Jan. 2. 

 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters quickly snuffed out a fire in the basement of an Appleton Avenue home, preventing the family from being displaced.

 

Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Garner released a report saying the department responded to 75 Appleton shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday night for report of smoke in the basement. A furnace without water overheated, which lead to the pipes igniting insulation. 

 

"Upon arrival we found a moderate amount of smoke in the basement and the 1st floor. We found a super heated furnace with insulation located above and adjacent on fire," Garner wrote. "Engine 3 crew pulled a preconnected booster line and extinguished the fire."

 

The crew on Engine 1 helped remove smoldering debris, he wrote, Engine 6 supplied a water supply, and Tower 1 provided ventilation and checked for expansion. 

 

"The fire was confined and controlled relatively quickly on a frigid night. The occupants were not displaced and were to make emergency service to the heating unit," Garner wrote.

 

There were no injuries reported. There is smoke and water damage in the basement.