December 19, 2007
Boston Blotter: Second Snowplow Death
--A woman from Blackstone was hit and killed by a snowplow. 50-year-old Rita Plante had to walk on the road after parking her car and heading to her home. According to O'Ryan Johnson, "Plante carried groceries and walked with her back to traffic when authorities said a white Ford extended-cab pick-up truck with a plow struck her from behind about 5:30 p.m."
The snowplow hit her and kept going. Another car hit her after the snowplow and called the police.
--The DA's Office announced that Erik Joseph, the man accused of defrauding customers at Seaport Hardware, was indicted on a staggering "23 counts of larceny over $250 by scheme and 23 counts of fraudulent use of a credit card." And that's only part of it. These indictments involve American Express credit cards only. Another grand jury will hear the cases involving other credit-card companies.
--Some white-collar crime in Brookline? WBZ reports that the FBI is investigating corruption inside Brookline's Water Department: "Agents are targeting three municipal employees suspected of trying to get kickbacks from local contractors." Brookline? The Water Department? We never knew it could be so exciting.
--In Lowell, store clerk Perry Ashford decided he wasn't having it when some guy tried to hold up his store with a knife. Fox 25 has the video of the clerk fighting back--with a bat. And he won.
--Somebody's birthday party got trashed in Brighton early Sunday morning. Two teenagers were shot--one in the wrist and one in the neck--on Washington Street. The Allston TAB has the story of a witness who did pretty much everything possible to chase down the shooter, even though someone was firing shots at the witness, and three suspects got away.
All charges alleged until proven under law.


