Vandalism in Pittsfield; train hits debris

PITTSFIELD – A series of incidents late Monday and early Tuesday caused thousands of dollars in damage and had police scrambling for suspects Tuesday morning. It also prompted warnings to residents to lock their vehicles, office buildings and homes.

Police don’t know whether the incidents are related. The activity began about 9:30 p.m. Monday when Officer Nicholas Fletcher spotted a young male attempting to break into a vehicle on Lancey Street. Fletcher chased the person into Manson Park but was unable to apprehend him, although Fletcher was able to identify the suspect.

At 5 a.m. Tuesday, a freight train struck a pile of debris, which included items taken in the nighttime spree, and was forced to stop for inspection.

By 8 a.m., police were called to area businesses as workers opening up discovered break-ins and vandalism.

David Fink, executive vice president of Guilford Rail System, said that the debris was temporarily caught up under the train by the downtown crossing. “They were forced to stop and check for damage,” he said. “Everything was OK.” Fink said that the items on the track, including a large boulder, could have punctured the train’s fuel tank, brake lines or possibly derailed the train.

The other incidents included:

. A break-in and theft at Kleinschmidt Associates on Main Street in which three computers and related software were stolen. The value is estimated between $2,000 and $4,000.

. A break-in at Cianbro Corp.’s carpentry shop on Hunnewell Avenue. Windows and doors were broken. The cost to repair the damage will be $600.

. Vandalism at Edwards Systems Technology on Main Street, where $400 in damage was done to a stairway and the building was spray-painted with obscenities and graffiti. Some of the wood taken from a stairway at Edwards was left on the railroad tracks with other debris, which was later struck by a train.

. The theft of a $3,500, 1998 Polaris Explorer all-terrain vehicle from a Somerset Avenue residence.

Pittsfield Officer Jeffery Vanadestine said that the theft of computers at Kleinschmidt Associates was accomplished because a window had been left unsecured. Vanadestine said that at least one person climbed a metal ladder at the rear of the Main Street building and entered through the window.

“There is a possibility that all the incidents are related,” said Vanadestine.

By 10 a.m., Vanadestine had recovered the stolen four-wheeler, parked behind the former Wright’s Emporium restaurant on Hartland Avenue. It was undamaged.

At Cianbro, Police Chief Steven Emery said the vandals banged on a steel door with a steel pipe. “Not a single person called in a complaint,” he said. “Someone must have heard that noise.”

In fact, said Emery, not a single report from any Pittsfield resident that unusual noises or activity had been heard or observed was received by the county emergency dispatch center.

Police Chief Steven Emery said Tuesday morning, “It might be time to bring back a Neighborhood Watch Program.” He said that people need to be aware of the activities within their neighborhoods and report unusual sounds or actions by calling 911.

Emery said the night patrol by uniformed and plainclothes officers will be “beefed up” as well.