Stolen
property
stolen
By CARL E. HARTDEGEN
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – City police have issued a warrant for a Westfield man who allegedly assaulted a relative after accusing the man of stealing scrap copper he claimed to have stolen himself.
Police report Tuesday that an 11:32 a.m. caller reported that family members were engaged in an altercation about stolen property.
Officer Charles “Chip” Kielbasa responded to the complaint and reports the victim said that his cousin accused him of stealing stolen scrap metal that the suspect had hidden on a West Road farm owned by family members. The victim said that he denied any knowledge of the stolen property but the suspect refused to believe him and produced a flip type utility knife that he swung at the victim.
The victim said that he evaded his cousin’s attack and ordered him off the property.
Kielbasa reports he was told that the suspect got into his truck and, while he was revving his engine, the victim began to be afraid that the suspect would strike him with the truck so he picked up a length of pipe.
When the suspect drove his truck at the victim the man said that he evaded the truck and struck it with the pipe, whereupon the suspect exited with a baseball bat and a physical confrontation ensued.
The victim told Kielbasa that he came out on top in the fight, whereupon his cousin stopped fighting and agreed to leave.
The victim told Kielbasa that his cousin yelled threats at him while he left.
Kielbasa reports that he applied for a warrant alleging that the suspect, who is well-known to many Westfield officers due to previous encounters, committed assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Carl E. Hartdegen can be reached at [email protected]
