Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Monday, July 18.

 

Michael Taylor, 56, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute - his second offense - possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute - his second offense - possession of heroin, and resisting arrest.

 

He was released on $1,000 bail but he is also currently being held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on other charges. The charges stem from an incident in Pittsfield on June 6, 2016.

 

Michael Crump, 39, of Canaan, Conn. had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute - his second offense - and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. 

 

He was released on $1,000 bail. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Great Barrington on June 1, 2016.

 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Thursday, July 21.

 

Deng Vilayvanh, 26, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws to wit: trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, illegal ownership of a firearm, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, improper storage of a firearm, and possession of cocaine.

 

He was ordered to serve three to four years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction on the conspiracy to violate drug drug laws, possession of cocaine, and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number charges. He was given concurrent time at the Berkshire County House of Correction on the other charges.

 

The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at his Dewey Avenue home on July 17, 2015. 

 

A single count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony was dismissed by the state.

 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Friday, July 22.

 

Elwin Bruno, 48, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

 

He was ordered to serve two years at the Berkshire County House of Correction. The charge stems from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on June 8, 2015.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police are investigating a hit and run accident in which the driver of an allegedly stolen vehicle fled on foot.

 

Police say 25-year-old Kelly McAllister was traveling east on Columbus Avenue and had the right of way at the intersection of Dewey Avenue when another vehicle ran the stop sign at Dewey and crashed into McAllister on Friday, July 15. McAllister's Jeep rolled over and the operator of the other vehicle fled on foot.

 

"The operator of the vehicle that caused the accident fled the scene on foot leaving the vehicle behind.  The owner of the vehicle causing the accident was immediately contacted at his address and reported his vehicle had been stolen from his house," Capt. David Granger wrote in a e-mail. 

 

The accident is still under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact Ofc. Marc Maddalena at 448-9700 ext. 339 or submit tips through the Police Department's website.

 

McAllister is hoping somebody can help provide a description to police.

 

"This person could very well do this again and next time could end someone's life, I'm truly lucky to be alive, yet nobody, besides eye witnesses know anything about this accident," McAllister wrote in an e-mail to iBerkshires. "I need eye witnesses to come forward and give any description of the man who took off running on foot."

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An early morning fire destroyed a Robbins Avenue duplex, leaving two people without homes.

 

Fire Captain Raymond Tart said the cause is still be investigated and one firefighter was sent to the hospital.

 

The call in around 4 a.m. Monday morning and firefighters responded to the blaze to find heavy fire on both sides of the home.

 

"The deputy chief who was on the scene, Deputy [Daniel] Garner, he had heavy fire showing from the front and the back up toward attic," Tart said.

 

"They made an interior attack and then they eventually pulled the guys out in time because the roof collapsed."

 

The road was blocked off for hours and one firefighter suffered dehydration and was taken to Berkshire Medical Center.

 

"I believe is going to be released soon if he hasn't been released yet," Tart said.

 

Tart said the American Red Cross was called in to help the two occupants on one side of the duplex find temporary housing. The two had apparently been in the home when it started but escaped without injury. The other side was vacant. 

 

The fire was a two-alarm, bringing in 18 city firefighters to the scene. The Dalton Fire Department sent a crew of five as well and Hinsdale was on scene with a rehabilitation unit.

 

The blaze posed challenges to firefighters because of the heavy fire and roof collapse, but otherwise Tart said the putting it out went "pretty smooth."

Update at 5:30 p.m., Monday:

 

Dr. Mindy Hull, an associate medical examiner for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, conducted the autopsy on 38-year-old Joseph Brown on Monday in Boston. Dr. Hull's preliminary results ruled the manner of death as a homicide from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man was shot dead early Sunday morning, according to the district attorney's office.

The body of Joseph Brown, 38, of Pittsfield was found in his driveway at 343 Columbus Ave. at about 2 a.m. Sunday after 911 call reporting a man down.

 

District Attorney David Capeless' office said Brown appeared to have died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

 

"The body was removed from the scene by the office of the chief medical examiner and was transported to the Boston office, where an autopsy will be conducted tomorrow," reads a statement from the office.

 

Police are investigating the shooting as an apparent homicide and are asking anyone with any information to contact the department at 413-448-9700. 

 

The investigation is being conducted by members of the Pittsfield Police Department, assisted by the Berkshire detective unit of the State Police assigned to the district attorney's office, the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force and the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Monday, July 11.

 

Juan Lopez-Lucas, 34, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of assault and battery on a disabled person and a single count of caretaker abuse on a disabled person.

 

He was released on personal recognizance. Lopez-Lucas is accused of assaulting a student while he was employed at Eagleton School on July 11, 2013.

 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Tuesday, July 12.

 

Eric Cohen, 57, of New Marlborough was sentenced to concurrent 20 to 24 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction on four counts of rape and abuse of a child aggravated by an age difference, four counts of rape of a child with force, two counts of rape, and a single count of assault on a child with intent to commit rape. He was sentenced to concurrent prison time on a number of other charges.

 

Cohen had previously pled guilty to four counts of rape and abuse of a child aggravated by an age difference, two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person who has attained age 14 and a single count of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, relating to sexual assaults on a girl who is now age 18 in New Marlborough between September 1, 2012 and January 12, 2014.

 

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of rape of a child with force and a single count of assault with intent to commit rape upon a child in connection with sexual assaults on a women who is now age 34 between January 1, 1992 and May 20, 1994 in North Adams.

 

On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape in connection with a woman who is now age 51 in North Adams between May 1, 2003 and May 21, 2003.

 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Thursday, July 14.

 

Michael Nash, 28, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

 

He was ordered to serve six months of a two-year sentence at the Berkshire County House of Correction and placed on one-year probation. The charge stems from the execution of a search warrant at his home on March 25, 2016.

 

Arturo Bravo, 76, of Becket pleaded guilty to 11 counts of rape and abuse of a child without force, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, and single counts of assault on a child with intent to commit rape, and intimidation of a witness.

 

He was ordered to serve concurrent seven to 10 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction.

 

Bravo sexually assaulted three boys in Becket between July 1, 2002 and September 8, 2014. The victims are now ages 27, 20, and 14. A single count of rape and abuse of a child without force was dismissed by the state.