By Chet Williamson 

Precious metals

The Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise reported last week the arrest of two men who were pushing a baby carriage full of allegedly stolen copper. On Wednesday, April 30, police received a call from a property owner from Lowell who said that all of the copper piping from his apartments at 131 Blossom St. had been ripped out of the building. According to court records, Brent Brown Jr. and Jeremy Fredenburg, both of Fitchburg, were charged with the crime, Fitchburg Police Officer Michael Sevigny stated. Sevigny said that after lifting a blanket covering the carriage, he found the stolen metals. “One male was pushing a baby carriage and one of the other males was carrying a duffel bag,” he said. More radiator parts and pipes were found in Brown’s bag. Sgt. Glenn Fossa of the Fitchburg Police said the property owner estimated the repairs to the heating system in his building would cost around $46,000.

Smash and grabs

Although they have yet to release any names, Shrewsbury police have identified two suspects who are allegedly responsible for the break-ins of between 40-50 cars in the area. Lt. Mark Dubois told The Shrewsbury Chronicle that the incidents occurred over a two-week period and happened in a concentrated area on the west side of Shrewsbury. “Most were pretty typical break-ins with people just leaving their doors unlocked,” he says. “The suspects got in and were scavenging for anything valuable they could find.” Police reported that most of the items were cell phones, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and iPods. The thieves made off with a small amount of cash as well. Although the suspects have admitted to the crimes, they have not officially been charged. Dubois says their names have been withheld pending citations, as police need to speak with all the victims first. o

All information taken from public records, published reports and court proceedings.