WESTFIELD – The man accused of breaking into a city gas station has been indicted in Hampden County Superior Court.
Jonathan P. Hall is facing charges of felony breaking and entering at nighttime, larceny from a building and defacement/vandalizing property in connection with a July 9 break-in of the Westfield Mobil Gas Station, located at 162 Southampton Road.
Hall’s court-appointed attorney, Kathleen Cavanaugh, asked Judge Philip A. Contant in Westfield District Court Friday to waive her client’s appearance for his pretrial hearing because he is due to be arraigned in Superior Court on September 22.
Hall, 34 of Northfield, has been in the Hampden County House of Correction held on $10,000 cash or surety since his July 15 arraignment.
Hall, who has a long criminal record including nearly 100 charges, allegedly threw a cinder block through the front door of the Mobil Station to gain access to the store, stole money from the cash register and forcibly removed the safe that was attached to the floor snapping the bolts that had been securing it–all accomplished within 30 seconds, according to court records.
At his arraignment, the prosecution stated that Hall has an extensive record of convictions: 12 pages dating back to 2000 and more than half a dozen appearance defaults.
An anonymous tip lead to Hall’s arrest after someone identified the suspect from photos obtained exclusively by the Westfield News and posted on thewestfieldnews.com and the Westfield News Facebook page.
Allegedly after Hall’s arrest, he admitted to the crime by telling Westfield Police Det. Anthony Tsatsos, “I was trying to do better,” according to court records.
Hall is possibly due back in Westfield District Court on October 23, if necessary, for further pretrial unless he is already arraigned in Superior Court before that date.
Staff Writer Christine Charnosky can be reached at [email protected]
