Great Barrington Police Arrest 4 on Unarmed Robbery Charges

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Four individuals from New York State were arrested after an unarmed robbery at Berkshire Bank on Thursday afternoon. 
 
Desmond Collins, 34, of Queens; Adam Lamar Morrison, 30, of Irvingdale; Christopher Wright, 32, of the Bronx; and Shamina Cruz, 45, of Manhattan are all charged with larceny more than $1,200 and unarmed robbery. Police said more charges may be pending.
 
An employee of Berkshire Bank's Stockbridge Road branch reported the robbery at about 2:39 p.m.
 
A woman was attempting a fraudulent transaction when a bank employee identified the transaction as suspicious; the woman then grabbed the money and fled the bank. She got into a black Honda Accord with purple fenders and headed north on Stockbridge Road. Officer Andres Huertas immediately distributed a be-on-the-lookout to officers and area police agencies, including State Police.
 
Within minutes, Stockbridge Police Officer Rosario Messina was able to stop the vehicle without incident on Main Street in Stockbridge. 
 
An investigation into the incident resulted in the four individuals being arrested by Great Barrington Police Officers Sam Stolzar, Elias Casey and Brandon Messina. Officers from Stockbridge Police Department and State Police assisted in the arrest. 
 
A large amount of cash was secured from the vehicles and occupants. Police said they are looking into the possibility that other banks may have also been hit. 
 
"I am proud of the quick work from all officers involved and the bank employee," said Great Barrington Police Chief Paul Storti. "Handling a call like this situation without incident shows the professionalism of the officers."
 
The four suspects are being held on bail ranging from $6,000 to $9,000 at the Great Barrington Police Department. This investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filled at a later date.

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South County Farm Grows Community

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
TYRINGHAM, Mass. — Woven Roots Farm offered the ideal venue for the message Massachusetts' commissioner of agriculture wanted to deliver: the barn.
 
That is where Commissioner Ashley Randle addressed a group of about two dozen attendees at Berkshire Grown's Berkshire Farm Tour.
 
"With everything that is happening around us, it can feel very disheartening and very heavy," Randle said Wednesday after the group shared a meal in Woven Roots' community gathering room. "And two things that I've talked about have been leading in community and with compassion.
 
"And, certainly, Woven Roots has embodied that every day."
 
Jen and Pete Salinetti founded Woven Roots at the turn of the 20th century on a quarter acre of land they owned in Lee.
 
Today, they have almost 850 garden beds on 2 and a half acres in Tyringham, where they moved full-time in 2014.
 
The community-supported agriculture farm produces 70 crops and produces enough food for 1,600 people per week, Jen Salinetti said while leading a tour of the property the couple leases on McCarty Road.
 
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