Two men arrested for stealing Christmas tree, wreath in downtown Amherst
AMHERST — Just hours before downtown Amherst’s holiday season was scheduled to begin with the annual Merry Maple celebration, two men were arrested for stealing decorations.
Police Detective Jamie Reardon said an officer on patrol in the area of North Pleasant and McClellan streets observed a man carrying a Christmas tree Friday at 12:36 a.m.
After determining the tree had just been taken from the annual Boy Scouts’ sale at Kendrick Park, police placed the man, identified as Arian C. Hashemi-Pour, 21, of 5 Eames Place, under arrest on charges of larceny under $250 and resisting arrest, Reardon said.
The second incident occurred about two hours later, when an officer noticed a man carrying an oversized wreath on Boltwood Avenue. The wreath had earlier been hanging at the Bank of America building at 1 South Pleasant St.
Alex Joseph Henault, 21, of 285 Main St., unit 1, was arrested on a charge of larceny under $250, Reardon said.
In addition to the theft of one wreath, a second wreath hung at Peoples Bank, 56 Amity St., was thrown onto the sidewalk.
— SCOTT MERZBACH
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