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Pittsfield Man Being Charged for Illegal Firearms, Ammunition Cache

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police have arrested a local man with illegally possessing firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
 
Mathew Sylvia, 32, of Linden Street was found in possession of eight firearms (rifles, shotguns and handguns) as well as a flare gun that was modified to fire shotgun rounds, say police. Sylvia also possessed more than 13,000 rounds of ammunition in both handgun, shotgun and rifle calibers (.22, .25, .357, .38, 9mm, .45, 7.62 x39, .410, 20ga and 12 ga).
 
According to police, Sylvia does not possess a valid License to Carry (LTC) or Firearms Identification Card (FID).
 
A tip that Sylvia was going to receive a large shipment of ammunition came on Oct. 19, while detectives were investigating the homicide of William Catalano, who was stabbed outside his Robbins Avenue home on Oct. 15.
 
Detectives applied for and received several search warrants that authorized both the seizure of more than 60 pounds of ammunition that was at a local shipping company, as well as a search of Sylvia's residence. Multiple firearms and more ammunition were seized by investigators at the residence.
 
Additionally, Sylvia possessed multiple high capacity feeding devices (magazines) for multiple firearms.
 
He will be charged with multiple counts of possession of firearms and ammunition without an FID, improper storage of firearms, and possession of large capacity feeding devices.
 
Sylvia was taken into custody by Central District Court Probation personnel based upon the investigation, which constituted a violation of his existing probation conditions.
 
The Pittsfield Detective Bureau received assistance in the case from the state police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.
     

UPDATED: Third Man Charged In Robbins Avenue Murder

Staff Reports

Updated: Monday, October 22, 2018 at 1:47 p.m.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. - The third suspect in last Monday's stabbing on Robbins Avenue turned himself in to authorities.
 
Jason Sefton, 20, of Pittsfield was arrested at about 9:30 a.m. on Monday when he turned himself in response to a warrant being issued for his arrest. Sefton entered a not guilty plea on a single count of murder.
 
Judge Jennifer Tyne ordered that he be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without bail. 
 
Sefton is accused of being one of three suspected in the stabbing that killed 34-year-old William Catalano on Robbins Avenue. Bruce Romano, 28, and Anthony Boone, 22, were previously arrested and charged with single counts of murder in the case.
 
At about 5:28 p.m. Monday night police were called to 219 Robbins Avenue for an altercation and found Catalano lying on the sidewalk. Catalano later died at Berkshire Medical Center.
 
Authorities said there was an argument in front of the home and the multiple persons involved fled the scene when neighbors starting yelling that they were calling 911. Authorities say Catalano and the assailants knew each other. 
 

Authorities are still looking for Jason Sefton. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pittsfield Police Department.

UPDATED on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 3:44 p.m.: Arrests Made In Robbins Ave Stabbing

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two men were arrested on murder charges relating to Monday night's stabbing.

 
Bruce Romano, 28, and Anthony Boone, 22, were arrested and charged with single counts of murder in the killing of 34-year-old William Catalano on Robbins Avenue.
 
Police also have an arrest warrant for 20-year-old Jason Sefton, pictured on the right, who was also allegedly involved in the incident.
 
A fourth individual, 34-year-old Shane Smith, was arrested and charged with providing misleading information to a police officer relating to the case.
 
Catalano died at Berkshire Medical Center due to wounds suffered during the stabbing.
 
At about 5:28 p.m. Monday night police were called to 219 Robbins Avenue for an altercation and found Catalano lying on the sidewalk.
 
Authorities said there was an argument in front of the home and the multiple persons involved fled the scene when neighbors starting yelling that they were calling 911. Authorities say Catalano and the assailants knew each other.
 
Romano and Boone are both being held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without the right to bail and will be arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Wednesday. 
 
Smith was arraigned Tuesday morning on the single count of providing misleading information to a police officer. He entered a not guilty plea and was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $3,000 bail. 
 
Investigators are still looking for Sefton and are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact the Pittsfield Police Department's detective bureau at 413-448-9705.

Original Post: Monday, October 15, 2018 at 9:11 p.m.

 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man was murdered on Robbins Avenue Monday evening.
 
According to the District Attorney's  Office, William Catalano, 34, of Pittsfield was found lying on the sidewalk in front of 219 Robbins Avenue at about 5:28 p.m. Monday. Catalano was suffering from multiple stab wounds and died shortly after 7 p.m. at Berkshire Medical Center. 
 
Authorities say that an altercation had occurred in front of the home and involved multiple persons. Catalano appears to have known the assailants and it is not believed to be a danger to the public.
 
Those involved in the fight fled when neighbors started yelling that they were calling 911. 
 
Anyone who may have witnessed the attack or has any information is asked to call the Pittsfield Police Department's detective bureau at 413-448-9705.
 
The investigation is being conducted by members of the Pittsfield Police Department with assistance from State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, Forensic Scientists from the Crime Laboratory and the Berkshire County Sheriff's Department.
 
That block of Robbins Avenue was also the location of the 2015 murder of Ronald Pinel. 
     

Adams Woman Charged in Fatal Hit & Run

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An Adams woman has been charged in the hit-and-run accident last month that resulted in the death 38-year-old Jerome "Jeremy" Berard.
 
Debra M. Milesi, 57, of Jordan St. was arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court on Monday afternoon on single counts of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident resulting in death, of motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol and of negligent operation of a motor vehicle. 
 
Berard, of North Adams, was found laying on the side of East Hoosac Street in Adams around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29. Berard had incurred severe injuries including broken limbs and head trauma. He was taken to the Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield and died there a week later, on Oct. 7.
 
According to authorities, the officer who discovered Berard was on his way to back up another officer who had stopped Milesi near the corner of Meadow and East Hoosac, not far from where Berard was hit. Milesi was also taken to BMC in Pittsfield from which she was later released. 
 
Berard left two children, ages 10 and 17, and a fiancee. He was a graduate of McCann Technical School and was employed by Whitman Crystal Cleaning at the time of his death.
 
Judge William Rota released Milesi on $1,000 bail and on the condition that she wear a GPS monitor. She is under 24-hour house arrest and cannot drive or leave the state. A pre-trial hearing has been set for Oct. 29.
 
The investigation was conducted by members of the Adams Police Department with assistance from state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's Office and the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and Crime Scene Service Section of the state police.
     

Pittsfield Car Rolls Over In Driveway, Hits Neighboring Building

Staff Reports

There was reportedly no structural damage.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police and fire responded to a somewhat unique accident Monday afternoon.
 
In the driveway of a Columbus Avenue multi-family apartment building was an overturned Subaru, leaning on the neighbor's home.
 
There were no injuries as the woman operating the vehicle got out with only minor bumps and scratches.
 
According to those on the scene, the operator was driving into the driveway and hit stairs leading to one of the apartments.
 
The vehicle then rolled, coming to a stop on its roof, and leaning on the neighboring building.
 
A wrecker had to navigate the narrow driveway to pull the vehicle out. At about 2:30 the vehicle was towed and there was reportedly no structural damage to the home.
     

No Injuries Reported After Police Fire Weapons During Search

Staff Reports

Noble Avenue was closed for most of the day on Friday.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police officers shot at a man while executing a search warrant on West Housatonic Street on Friday morning but there were no injuries.
 
According to the district attorney's office, while the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force executed a search warrant relating to drug activity, 23-year-old Marcel Teixeira-Ingram Jr. was seen pointing a handgun at officers. Two officers discharged weapons in response but did not hit the man.
 
He was then taken into custody.
 
Teixeira-Ingram Jr. is being charged with armed assault with intent to murder, illegal possession of a firearm, armed career felon in possession of a firearm, and assault with a dangerous weapon. Teixeira-Ingram will be arraigned Monday morning in Central Berkshire District Court and additional charges may be brought.
 
Police executed the warrant at 9:50 a.m. at the multi-unit apartment building at the corner of Noble Avenue and West Housatonic Street. Noble Avenue was shut down for most of the day as the investigation into the incident unfolded. 
 
The investigation is being conducted by state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office, the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services and Ballistics Sections, members of the Pittsfield and Dalton police departments and the Berkshire County sheriff's department.
     
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