CPD officers thwart attempted burglary at demo site

By Mike Berger

Three Canton police officers are being praised by their superiors for their efforts in thwarting an apparent burglary in progress at a demolition site in Canton last week.

The incident occurred around 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 21. Deputy Police Chief Helena Rafferty said police initially received a call for an open door at an unoccupied house slated for demolition, and the responding officers encountered two suspects, one attempting to haul a water heater up the stairs from the basement and another with an electric drill. Rafferty said the site was clearly posted with a state-issued “no trespassing” sign.

Police arrested Omar Franklin Jr., 31, of Hyde Park, and charged him with breaking and entering into a building in the daytime, larceny from a building, and trespassing. Ronald Austin, 57, of 237 Dedham Street, was also charged with B&E in the daytime, unarmed burglary, possession of burglarious tools, and trespassing.

Austin was also charged a day earlier for a disturbance at Dedham Street and Shawmut Road. He was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and malicious damage to a motor vehicle. Both suspects were held in custody pending their arraignment. Rafferty praised officers Rob Quirk, Brendan Healy, and Sean Goode for good police work on the case.

CFD battles woodland fire at Ponkapoag campsite

The recent dry conditions caused several brush fires last week with the most serious occurring at a campsite near the Ponkapoag Golf Course on Sunday, July 24, around 4:30 p.m. Fire Lt. Greg Woodbury said the Sharon Fire Tower notified the Canton Fire Department that two areas in the woods adjacent to the golf course were burning. Seven Canton firefighters, two state forestry firefighters, two Sharon firefighters, and two staff members from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation battled the fire for four hours and Canton firefighters returned to the scene for two hours on Monday morning, July 25. Woodbury said the fire damaged at least two acres of woodland and was apparently started by a camp fire in the woods.

In other calls last week, firefighters responded to a brush fire on July 22 at the intersection of Green Street and Hemenway Drive that started when a tree fell on power lines. Firefighters also provided mutual aid at a fire on Avalon Street in Stoughton on July 23 and responded to a small lawn fire, also on July 23, and a gas leak at the road construction site at Chapman and Washington streets. Firefighters were also called to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Neponset Street on July 21 in which a truck hit a low-hanging utility wire and ripped the power meter off of a house. Eversource assisted the CFD in securing the scene and reinstalling power to the area. Two Canton firefighters were also sent to help battle a large brush fire in Framingham on July 23.

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