Police: Kidnap Victim Made Up Story

The victim in a kidnapping early Monday morning made up the story, police said.

The woman who at first told police she was kidnapped and locked in the trunk of her car early Monday morning is now facing charges that she made up the story, according to Beverly police. The woman, Maria Brayfield, 24, will be charged by Beverly police with filing a false police report, according to Beverly police Officer Michael Boccuzzi, a department spokesman. Brayfield was issued a summons just before noon on Monday following an interview with detectives. An arraignment date has not been scheduled in Salem District Court. It started at about 3:30 a.m. on Monday when passers-by stopped along Route 128 in Wenham to help out at what they thought was a car crash. But those passers-by heard noise from the rear of the hatchback and broke …

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Suspect in Two Jewelry Store Break-ins Eyed as 'One Man Crime Spree'

Beverly police made an arrest early Saturday morning of a man that is possibly connected to as many as 15 "smash-and-grab" jewelry store break-in where jewelry worth nearly half a million dollars has been stolen.

A man police call a “one many crime spree” has been arrested and charged with two break-ins at a North Beverly jewelry store last winter. Additionally, he is being eyed in connection with as many as 15 other jewelry store break-ins on the North Shore and on the seacoast of New Hampshire. James J. Radler, 51, was arrested early Saturday morning at Knights Inn on Route 1 in Danvers, which he lists as his home address. Beverly police detectives, led by Detective Darlene Prinz, along with detectives from Danvers and Peabody, made the arrest before 6 a.m. He has been charged with two counts of breaking and entering into a building a night to commit a felony and two charges of malicious destruction of property over $250. The break-in charges …

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Police Log

'Pocket Dial' Prompts Concern About Child's Well-Being

The following information was submitted by the Beverly Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

The following is an excerpt from the Beverly Police Department activity logs: Wednesday, June 5 Vandalism was reported at the school building next to St. Margaret’s Church on Hale Street at 4:25 p.m. A restraining order was served in hand on Bartlett Street at 4:46 p.m. An injured or sick raccoon was reported at an Old Farm Road address at 5:34 p.m. The animal was gone when an officer arrived and the resident was asked to call the animal control officer in the morning. A neighbor was creating a disturbance was banging on the door at a Cedar Street address at 5:45 p.m. Police spoke to both people and everything was quiet. An adult was arrested on Rantoul Street at 5:47 p.m. in connection to a domestic incident. A child with psychological …

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Downtown Cat Deaths May Be Linked to Fisher Cat

As many as a half dozen cat deaths in an area of downtown Beverly may be linked to a fisher cat in the area.

A fisher cat may be the “suspect” in a chain of cat deaths in a downtown Beverly neighborhood in recent days, according to police. Beverly Police said Friday in a post to its Facebook page that 5-6 cats have recently been found dead in the area of Lovett and Central streets. “They appear to be possible victims of fisher cat attacks,” police said. Fisher vcats are relatively common in many areas of Massachusetts, according to a fact sheet assembled by MassWildlife. It was once considered to be strictly a wilderness species but is now seen more often populated areas, according to MassWildlife. Police were advising residents in the area to with outdoor pets “to keep an eye on them while outside.” There were not many more details available on …

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Dennis Tupper

11:21 am on Thursday, June 6, 2013

Yes Lisa, we found part our cat's body on the beach in the same manner as described by Susan. He went missing Sunday 5/26, we found him Friday 5/31 and the Vet (where we took him to be cremated) told us it appeared he died Sunday. We live on Silver Court, I thought we were safe from these animals being next to the beach. We were 100% wrong and that's frightening.   more ›

Beverly Police Hockey Team to Help Raise Money for Marathon Victim's Scholarship Fund

The fund will provide scholarships to Medford students.

The Beverly Police Department's hockey team will help raise money for the scholarship fund that has been created in memory of Krystle Campbell, the 29-year-old Medford native and Arlington resident who was one of three people killed in the bombings at the Boston Marathon. The Krystle M. Campbell Scholarship Fund will provide scholarships to Medford students, according to an announcement from the city of Medford. On Saturday, June 1, the Medford Police Department will play the Beverly Police Department in a hockey game to benefit the fund at O’Keefe Rink in Peabody. After the game, the fundraiser will continue at Spotlight Tavern in Beverly. Tickets can be purchased for $20 in advance (children free) and will include entrance to both the …

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Boaters, Including Two Children, Plucked from Water

Four boaters were rescued from just off Dane Street Beach on Thursday afternoon.

Four people – including two young children – were plucked from the cold ocean water on Thursday afternoon when their sailboat capsized. It happened at about 2:45 p.m. when the boat overturned in the water of Mackerel Cove between Lynch Park and Dane Street Beach. Deputy Harbormaster Mark Souza said the four boaters were taken by the harbormaster boat back to the city pier where they met a Northeast Regional Ambulance Service ambulance which checked them out took them to Beverly Hospital. They had no major injuries, Souza said. Beverly Police assisted with the rescue and the Fire Department was standing by at Dane Street Beach in case they were needed. The rescued boaters included two adults and two children – age 4 and age 5. The ocean …

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Nominate a Police Officer That Has Improved City's Quality of Life

Monday is the deadline to nominate a Beverly police officer that "has contributed significantly to improving Issues of public safety or quality of life" in Beverly.

The deadline is coming up to submit a nomination for an award for a top local police officer. The Beverly Police Department and the Community Advisory Committee are looking for nominations of a Beverly police officer who has "contributed significantly to improving issues of public safety or quality of life " in Beverly during the past year. The award will be handed out at the Landmark School. The department and committee ask that nominations include the name of police officer being nominated, a brief rationale for the nomination and contact information for the person making the nomination. Nominations should be sent to Sgt. Phil McCarthy by e-mail at pmccarthy@beverlyma.gov. The deadline for nominations in Monday May 13. The award is being…

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Beverly Police Probing Fatal Motorcycle Accident

A man was killed when his motorcycle veered off of Sohier Road Sunday afternoon.

Beverly and state police officials are investigating the cause of a deadly motorcycle crash on Sohier Road Sunday afternoon. Police declined to identify the victim early Monday morning, pending the notification of his family. The motorcyclist was traveling north on Sohier Road when the bike struck the curb, left the roadway and slammed into a utility pole near the Tozer Road intersection, police said. A state police accident reconstruction team was called to the scene and the investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing. Beverly Patch will post additional information as it becomes available.

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Up to 30,000 People Expected for Angie's Parade, Concert

Everyone from the police and fire department to Beverly High School teachers are ready to help out at Saturday's hometown visit from American Idol Top 3 contestant Angie Miller.

It remains unclear exactly how many people will come to Beverly on Saturday for Angie Miller's American Idol hometown visit parade and concert, but public safety officials are planning for up to 30,000 people. Beverly Police Chief Mark Ray said that his department is used to handling large gatherings, such as parades and fireworks, but those are annual events. "The thing that makes this different is that the crowd size is variable," Ray said, noting the city has never hosted anything like an American Idol hometown visit. A parade is scheduled to start at City Hall at 3 p.m. and head north on Cabot Street to Beverly High School, where Miller will put on a concert at 4 p.m. Planning for the event has happened over the past week, with a crowd…

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