She Was Not A 13-Year-Old Girl

Pelham Police just sent out a release announcing that they arrested Brian Milligan, 27, of Pelham, today about 12:20 p.m., following a months-long investigation during which Milligan allegedly sent nude photographs to a detective posing as a 13-year-old girl.
Police say Milligan spent the last three months talking online to a detective posing as a 13-year-old girl from the area. Police say Milligan sent nude photographs of himself, had sexually explicit conversations, and tried to make plans to meet the girl.

Milligan, pictured above, was arrested today on Spring Street following a motor vehicle stop conducted by detectives. He is charged with two felony counts of certain uses of computer services prohibited.
He could not be reached for comment because he is being held tonight, pending arraignment on Wednesday in Salem District Court.
Police did not release Milligan’s home address, but that’s standard procedure for Pelham Police, who never release street addresses on defendants.
After Milligan’s arrest, detectives got a search warrant for his home and seized several computers, bedding, and clothing. The computers will be analyzed by the New Hampshire State Police Forensic Crime Laboratory.
The case remains under investigation. Police aren’t releasing any more information tonight.

Kicked In The Head And Struck With A Bat

Police got called to 31 Barclay Street at 4:55 p.m., for a report that a man had been jumped and beaten by three men who kicked him in the head several times and struck him with a baseball bat.
Police soon found the 18-year-old victim right around the corner at 154 Smith Street, and began looking for three Asian males.

One was described as having a mohawk, another had spikey hair. Both men wore white shirts, and the one with spiked hair was carrying a bat.
Officers found some guys fitting that description nearby but a witness couldn’t identify them.

The 18-year-old was taken to a city hospital with pretty significant injuries, though he’s expected to survive.
Anyone with information is asked to call Lowell police at 978-937-3200 or Crimestoppers at 978-459-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent to police via Text-a-Tip, by texting TIP411 (847411) with the subject “LPDTIP.”
Tipsters can remain anonymous, but can receive up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Well-Being Check

Police, with help from Trinity Ambulance EMT’s, removed three children, ages 2, 4, and 6, from a first-floor apartment at 25 Read Street in Lowell tonight after going there to conduct a well-being check about 9 p.m.
Police couldn’t say much, but confirmed that officers were sent to the apartment after a concerned party called police about conditions there.
Police said officers found the apartment where the children lived had no electricity, signs of drug use, including uncapped hypodermic needles, and that the children had some bruises on them.

Police described the conditions as squalor.
No one was arrested, but the situation is under investigation by detectives and the department’s Family Services Unit.
The three youngest children were taken to Saints Medical Center. They, along with a 14-year-old daughter, will be turned over to the Department of Children and Families.
I’ll be pursuing this more tomorrow. I’ve watched a lot of stuff here in Lowell, but watching a 2-foot-tall little girl run from an ambulance to a woman while calling out “mommy” was pretty tough under the circumstances.
No pictures of the kids. That’s one thing I won’t do, especially in these circumstances.
UPDATE: Detectives with Family Services continue to investigate this. They were at the apartment today about 2 p.m., when a man walked into the apartment, walked toward the plain-clothes detectives, and reached for something in his waistband.
Detectives grabbed him, and ended up finding cocaine, marijuana, over $1,000 in cash and a knife on the guy. He was not a parent of the children, and told police he lives at both 25 Read St., and 829 Bridge St.
Javon Siri, 18, was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in a school zone, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in a school zone, and a violation of the city’s dangerous weapon ordinance.
Detectives continue to investigate the conditions in the apartment.

Ski Mask And A Handgun

There was, I think, an attempted robbery tonight on Chelmsford Street near the Lowell Quick Mart, that resulted in the husband of the alleged victim chasing the suspect around the neighborhood.
Police first got called to the area by someone on Avenue A about 8:12 p.m., who reported that the husband was chasing the suspect toward Avenue C.
According to police radio broadcasts, the incident began when an Asian male, about 5’6, showed a handgun and tried to rob the woman near the Quick Mart.
The suspect was described as wearing a black ski mask, a gray hoodie, and dark-colored pants. He was last seen hopping a fence behind a home on Avenue C.
Anyone with information is asked to call Lowell police at 978-937-3200 or Crimestoppers at 978-459-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent to police via Text-a-Tip, by texting TIP411 (847411) with the subject “LPDTIP.”
Tipsters can remain anonymous, but can receive up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Boom in Belvidere

There was a heck of a boom at a Lowell Regional Water Utility pumping station around 177 E. Merrimack Street tonight that sure got neighbors’ attention, but the fire department tells me it was nothing much.
Apparently the boom and some smoke that came from the building were just the result of the building losing power, according to the deputy fire chief who went to the scene.

“I just heard a big boom,” one neighbor told me.
“Once we heard the bang a bunch of smoke came from the building,” said another neighbor, Carlos Melendez.
Firefighters and police blocked off the street for a bit, but by the time I got there the smoke had dissipated. A neighbor sent me the picture above, which still shows just a bit of smoke or steam.