Sunday, February 8, 2009
Gun cache found
Hazmat team at city home
By Steven H. Foskett Jr. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]
4 comments | Add a comment
Worcester police officers talk with a Highland Street resident yesterday in front of the house where a cache of weapons and possible hazardous materials were found. (T&G Staff / PAUL KAPTEYN)
Enlarge photo
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A routine ambulance call to a Highland Street home yesterday afternoon led to the arrest of a city man after authorities discovered a cache of weapons and a package in a refrigerator that kept state hazardous materials and explosives experts on the scene for several hours.
Paul D. Mateiko, 54, of 184 Highland St., was arrested late last night and charged with three counts of possession of a machine gun, police said.
Fire and ambulance crews went to Mateiko’s home about 4:30 p.m. yesterday to respond to a medical call. When they arrived, they quickly called police, who found a large cache of weapons, including what appeared to be several military-style rifles, inside. Officials said there was a suspicious package in a refrigerator, and activated a state hazardous materials unit. The hazardous materials unit arrived around 6 p.m., before the bomb squad.
Police Sgt. Kerry F. Hazelhurst said police obtained a search warrant for the entire house, and were still taking weapons out of the house late last night. He said handguns, shotguns, machine guns, military ordnance, and “untold” amounts of ammunition were found throughout the house. He said components used to make explosives were also found. Sgt. Hazelhurst said the package in the refrigerator contained bomb-making ingredients.
Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said last night that the Department of Fire Services Regional Hazardous Materials Unit and the state bomb squad went to the house after police indicated there was some sort of material in the home. He said he expected the material to be safely disposed of or transported to a safe location last night.
Police blocked off the sidewalk in front of the house, at the corner of Einhorn Road, across the street from Bonardi’s Tuxedos. Pedestrians were told to cross the street. A firetruck and an ambulance idled on Einhorn.
Early in the evening, police officers made several trips in and out of the old house, and loaded a police cruiser with what appeared to be dozens of weapons. Officers initially brought out a few rifles and placed them individually in the trunk. But on subsequent trips, officers carried out large blankets or duffle bags filled with weapons.
Eventually, officers filled the trunk of the Ford Crown Victoria, and started loading weapons into the back seat. An officer finally drove away — the rear of the cruiser hanging visibly lower.
About 7 p.m., officials wearing oxygen masks went in the front door of the home, and went in and out several times. They came back out, took off their oxygen masks, and went back in and out of the house for more than an hour without any breathing protection. One official stood on the front stoop of the house shining a flashlight on a piece of paper; another official came out of the house after 7:30 p.m. with a small box. Another official went back into the house with what appeared to be a large container. Several photographs were taken, and officials hovered around the back of a vehicle used by the bomb squad.
A woman who declined to give her name said she called the ambulance for the man. She said she knew he had some weapons in the home, but had no idea of how many he had hidden throughout the house.
Gun cache found
Hazmat team at city home
By Steven H. Foskett Jr. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]
4 comments | Add a comment
Worcester police officers talk with a Highland Street resident yesterday in front of the house where a cache of weapons and possible hazardous materials were found. (T&G Staff / PAUL KAPTEYN)
Enlarge photo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A routine ambulance call to a Highland Street home yesterday afternoon led to the arrest of a city man after authorities discovered a cache of weapons and a package in a refrigerator that kept state hazardous materials and explosives experts on the scene for several hours.
Paul D. Mateiko, 54, of 184 Highland St., was arrested late last night and charged with three counts of possession of a machine gun, police said.
Fire and ambulance crews went to Mateiko’s home about 4:30 p.m. yesterday to respond to a medical call. When they arrived, they quickly called police, who found a large cache of weapons, including what appeared to be several military-style rifles, inside. Officials said there was a suspicious package in a refrigerator, and activated a state hazardous materials unit. The hazardous materials unit arrived around 6 p.m., before the bomb squad.
Police Sgt. Kerry F. Hazelhurst said police obtained a search warrant for the entire house, and were still taking weapons out of the house late last night. He said handguns, shotguns, machine guns, military ordnance, and “untold” amounts of ammunition were found throughout the house. He said components used to make explosives were also found. Sgt. Hazelhurst said the package in the refrigerator contained bomb-making ingredients.
Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said last night that the Department of Fire Services Regional Hazardous Materials Unit and the state bomb squad went to the house after police indicated there was some sort of material in the home. He said he expected the material to be safely disposed of or transported to a safe location last night.
Police blocked off the sidewalk in front of the house, at the corner of Einhorn Road, across the street from Bonardi’s Tuxedos. Pedestrians were told to cross the street. A firetruck and an ambulance idled on Einhorn.
Early in the evening, police officers made several trips in and out of the old house, and loaded a police cruiser with what appeared to be dozens of weapons. Officers initially brought out a few rifles and placed them individually in the trunk. But on subsequent trips, officers carried out large blankets or duffle bags filled with weapons.
Eventually, officers filled the trunk of the Ford Crown Victoria, and started loading weapons into the back seat. An officer finally drove away — the rear of the cruiser hanging visibly lower.
About 7 p.m., officials wearing oxygen masks went in the front door of the home, and went in and out several times. They came back out, took off their oxygen masks, and went back in and out of the house for more than an hour without any breathing protection. One official stood on the front stoop of the house shining a flashlight on a piece of paper; another official came out of the house after 7:30 p.m. with a small box. Another official went back into the house with what appeared to be a large container. Several photographs were taken, and officials hovered around the back of a vehicle used by the bomb squad.
A woman who declined to give her name said she called the ambulance for the man. She said she knew he had some weapons in the home, but had no idea of how many he had hidden throughout the house.
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
+1 for me also, maee....funny as hell.
![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
![[crying]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/006.gif "Crying [crying]")
![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
