Author: jgprrobert

WINTHROP — Police Chief John Goodwin is pleased to announce that the Winthrop Police Department was awarded a Fiscal Year 2024 Car Seat Distribution Program grant, funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Grants and Research.

The Winthrop Police Department was granted 30 convertible car seats and four booster seats, valued at about $4,000.

This program, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), aims to reduce child passenger injuries and fatalities by ensuring low-income families are provided with free car seats, and caregivers are educated on their proper installation and usage. Certified child passenger safety technicians will be distributing the car seats to families in need for Winthrop Police.

Winthrop residents must demonstrate need and can request a car seat by visiting the Winthrop Police Department and asking for Officer Robert Carter, who is a Certified Technician. Officer Carter will install seats at the department or at a residence, as well as inspect seats that have already been installed.

A joint statement made by retiring Police Chief Terence Delehanty and incoming Chief John Goodwin applauded the Office of Grants and Research for their continued support and cooperation of local efforts.

“Winthrop Police continue to make public safety the top concern and this program will further our efforts to achieve that goal,” said Chief Goodwin.

WINTHROP — Police Chief Terence Delehanty reports that Winthrop Police and law enforcement partners charged two men with trafficking cocaine as a result of a lengthy investigation.

FABIAN PERZ, AGE 47, OF EAST BOSTON, was arrested and charged with:

• Trafficking Cocaine (Over 100 Grams)

HENRY ALBERTO ZAPATA LOPEZ, AGE 35, OF EAST BOSTON, was arrested and charged with:

• Trafficking Cocaine (Over 100 Grams)

On Thursday, March 31, the Winthrop Police Department, with assistance from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security concluded a lengthy investigation into drug distribution by serving a search warrant at a home on Saratoga Street in East Boston.

As a result, investigators recovered more than 200 grams of cocaine, scales, packaging materials, ledgers, as well as multiple cellphones.

PERZ and LOPEZ were arrested at the scene once the search warrant was served. They were arraigned in East Boston District Court and ordered held on $1,000 bail.

These are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

WINTHROP 一 Town Manager Anthony Marino and Police Chief Terence Delehanty report that the Town of Winthrop and Winthrop Police will host a community forum on the recent arrest of a Winthrop Police lieutenant.

WHEN:

Monday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.

WHERE:

Winthrop Senior Center, 35 Harvard St., Winthrop, MA

WHAT:

Winthrop Town Manager Anthony Marino, Police Chief Terrence Delehanty and the Winthrop Department of Public Health will host a community forum on the recent arrest of a Winthrop Police lieutenant on child rape charges.

Town Manager Marino and Chief Delehanty, without providing details of the ongoing police investigation, will answer questions and address concerns regarding the incident.

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County will be there to provide information and resources for families on talking with children about abuse.

The Winthrop Department of Public Health will also be on hand to provide mental health supports to those in attendance.

Chief Terence Delehanty and the Winthrop Police Department report that the Department has received several recent reports of checks being taken out of the mail, altered, and then used fraudulently.

Six of these reports were received by the Winthrop Police Department recently. All of the victims who have contacted Winthrop Police report that they mailed envelopes containing checks from either the blue Postal Service mailbox in front of the Post Office at Michael’s Mall, or the blue Postal Service mailbox at Hermon and Centre streets.

In each instance, victims were notified by their banks of potentially fraudulent activity and received copies of altered checks that they did not make out themselves.

Altering stolen checks to fraudulently cash them is known as “check washing,” and is a common scheme in which various chemical washes are used to remove ink from checks, creating a blank check that suspects can then fill in however they want.

“Check washing is a common scheme in which suspects take legitimate checks out of the mail, alter them, and then attempt to cash them fraudulently,” said Chief Delehanty. “I encourage residents who are mailing checks to take their checks directly into the Post Office as we continue to investigate these crimes.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service reports that more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders are recovered each year, and offers the following tips for preventing check theft and check washing:

• Use black, gel pens when filling out checks. Black, gel ink can be more difficult to wash off of a check
• Do not mail checks via your residential mailbox, or any other insecure mailbox. It is recommended that any checks be mailed only in blue, Postal Service mailboxes, or that they are delivered in hand inside the Post Office.
• Shred or burn canceled checks. Do not throw checks in the trash.
• Check your bank statements often. Some banks will only reimburse funds lost to fraud if the fraud is reported to the bank within 30 days.
• Don’t risk sending cash in the mail.

Anyone who believes they may have had mail stolen or checks fraudulently cashed is encouraged to contact the Winthrop Police Department by calling 617-846-1212.

For more information on checking washing and other scams from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, click here.

Chief Terence M. Delehanty reports that the Winthrop Police Department arrested and charged two men with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine as a result of a motor vehicle stop.

SAMUEL CHAVARRIA ARTEAGA, AGE 19, OF REVERE, was arrested and charged with:

• Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute
• Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle
• Fugitive from Justice on Court Warrant

MATEO MIRA CHALARCA, AGE 26, OF WINTHROP, was arrested and charged with:

• Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute
• Giving a False Name to Law Enforcement

On Tuesday, Oct. 10, at approximately 1 p.m., Winthrop Police detectives were on patrol in an unmarked vehicle when they noticed a Ford Escape that was involved in an alleged drug transaction a week earlier and was not registered to a licensed owner.

While observing the Ford Escape, detectives witnessed what they believed was a possible drug transaction in progress, and stopped the vehicle on Veterans Road.

The driver of the Escape, later identified as ARTEAGA, was not licensed to drive, and was taken into custody at the scene. A subsequent search of the vehicle and a cross-body bag that ARTEAGA had on his person, officers located approximately 15 grams of a pink, powdery substance identified by field tests as methamphetamine. Detectives also located a scale with pink residue on it, a blender, and other drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.

Both ARTEAGA and CHARLARCA, who was a passenger in the vehicle, were arrested and charged at the scene.

ARTEAGA and CHARLARCA were both arraigned Wednesday in Boston Municipal Court, East Boston Division. ARTEAGA was ordered held without bail on the fugitive from justice charge, and CHARLARCA was ordered held on $2,500 cash bail, with conditions that he surrender his passport and report to probation if he posts bail.

“I want to highlight the good work of our detectives on this case, but I also want to highlight that this is the second time in a week that we have found defendants in possession of methamphetamine on the streets of Winthrop,” said Chief Delehanty. “Methamphetamine has caused major issues across much of America, and I hope we can prevent it from continuing to enter our community.”

These are allegations. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Chief Terence Delehanty and the Winthrop Police Department would like to urge community members to secure their vehicles following an uptick in reports of stolen vehicles and vehicle break-ins, all of which occurred in unsecured vehicles.

On March 19 and April 11, 12 and 19, the Winthrop Police Department took multiple reports of car breaks-ins and reports of four vehicles being stolen from the areas of Prescott Street, Ingleside Avenue, Douglas Street and Waldemar Avenue.

Of note is that none of the vehicles that were broken into or stolen were entered by force. In every instance, the doors of the vehicles were unlocked, and all four of the stolen vehicles had keys or key fobs still in the vehicle.

“We are investigating all of the incidents, have developed suspects in every case, and intend to file appropriate charges, but we also want to warn the community to please secure their vehicles,” said Chief Delehanty. “Motor vehicle theft and motor vehicle break-ins are often crimes of opportunity: Suspects will break into or steal any unsecured vehicle while passing right by locked vehicles. Basic security precautions can make a world of difference and can help prevent crime.”

Protect Your Vehicle

Winthrop Police urge residents to always lock and secure their vehicles. Additional safety tips, courtesy the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, include the following:

• Take your keys, don’t leave them in your vehicle.
• Close and lock all windows and doors.
• Park in well-lit areas, preferably a garage, if possible.
• Never leave valuables in your vehicle, and if you do, make sure they are out of sight.

For more tips on vehicle safety courtesy the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, click here.

Chief Terence M. Delehanty reports with a heavy heart that retired Police Chief Michael McManus passed away on Thursday morning at age 80.

Chief McManus joined the Winthrop Police Department as a Reserve Officer on Oct. 27, 1966, and became a Permanent Full-Time Officer on Feb. 26, 1968.

He became a Sergeant on June 2, 1983, and served in that position until his subsequent promotion to Lieutenant on March 14, 1988. McManus served as Acting Chief twice — from Jan. 31, 1995, to July 26, 1995, and from July 1, 1999, to March 13, 2000 — before becoming permanent Chief of Police on Dec. 26, 2000.

“Chief McManus was a gentleman many of us learned from as we came on the job as new Reserves or Officers,” said Chief Delehanty. “He served honorably for 38 years protecting and educating the citizens of the Town of Winthrop, and for that, we thank him and his family for their support and sacrifices.”

Chief McManus is survived by his wife, Fran, and his children, Maureen, Debby, Michael, Paula, Thomas, Sherry, Joseph, and Kim, and 15 grandchildren.

Visiting hours will be held in the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop on Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m., with a funeral Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church, (St. Michael the Archangel Parish) at 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop on Thursday 10 a.m.