NORTH ADAMS, Mass. (WWLP) – A man from North Adams has been ordered to serve time in prison after being found guilty of several burglaries on Wednesday. This comes shortly after he was released from prison just last week for committing similar offenses.
The North Adams Police Department stated that around 3:00 a.m. on Monday, they received a call about a burglary at Dave’s Package Store located on River Street. Video from surveillance cameras revealed a person smashing the store's front door window with a rock before going inside and taking away stolen cigarettes and lighters. With the help of this video evidence, law enforcement officials managed to pinpoint the identity of the alleged perpetrator as Christopher Jelley .
Around 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, law enforcement officials were alerted by several residents who reported seeing someone trying to force their way into an EZ Mart located on Ashland Street. According to eyewitnesses, the individual was dressed in a hoodie. Upon arrival, officers discovered two stones near the premises and observed that the storefront’s front door had been smashed; however, they did not find evidence indicating successful forced entry into the facility.
Soon after, the North Adams Police reported that local officers noticed the front glass door of Whitney’s Beverage Shop on American Legion Drive was shattered as well. They found a brick inside the shop without any signs of forced entrance. Around 1:10 a.m., the North Adams Dispatch Center got an alert about a break-in at the Freight Yard Pub.
The police reached the eatery and noticed that the glass pane of the main entrance was shattered, yet they couldn’t find the perpetrator. A thorough review of surveillance tapes across every area revealed that Jelley was the person behind all three occurrences on Wednesday, having taken multiple bottles of alcohol from the Freight Yard Pub.
The North Adams Police reported that they found Jelley wandering on Liberty Street and subsequently arrested him. He faced charges including two counts of breaking and entering as well as two counts of attempting to break and enter.
On Wednesday, Jelley appeared before the Northern Berkshire District Court for an arraignment and entered pleas of guilt to all accusations against him. He was subsequently handed a sentence requiring his imprisonment for 18 months. Earlier, on March 31, Jelley had secured release from incarceration following the completion of a two-year term related to several convictions for break-ins during 2023.
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