Athol duo arrested with stolen goods and illegal weapons following string of vehicle break-ins

ATHOL — On Wednesday, November 27, 2024, around 10:04 p.m., Athol Police Officer Paul Forand was dispatched to Unity Avenue following a report to dispatch of two individuals “checking vehicle doors” while walking down the street.

(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Forand and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)

“[The caller] stated he saw two parties go into a vehicle and walk away with items in their hands,” Officer Forand said. “Officers responded to the area and were there within a minute of the dispatch. Officers located the two parties at the intersection of Unite Avenue and Exchange Street. Officers also located [the 911 caller], who stayed on the phone with dispatch and kept them in view until officers arrived. Once officers arrived, [the 911 caller] immediately pointed the two parties out as the people he saw checking vehicle doors and going into a vehicle. The parties, who are known to the Athol Police Department, were identified as Mr. Brandon Bezio and Ms. Lindsay Fregeau. It should be noted that Bezio and Fregeau have been the center of an on-going town-wide investigation regarding vehicle breaks throughout Athol. Both Bezio and Fregeau were arrested on November 15^th of this year for breaking into vehicles and stealing items on Conant Road in Athol.”

According to police, Brandon J. Bezio, Sr., 33, is a resident of 53 Union Street, Apt. 1, Athol, MA, and Lindsay Fregeau, 32, is a resident of 198 Harrington Street, Apt. C5, Athol, MA.

Officer Forand walked along Unity Avenue with the 911 caller, who described the events he witnessed, while the other responding officers stayed behind with Bezio and Fregeau.

“According to [the 911 caller], he was sitting in his vehicle in front of his friend’s house on Unity Avenue when he saw Bezio and Fregeau round the corner from Lincoln Avenue onto Unity Avenue,” Officer Forand said. “[The 911 caller] stated he saw one of the parties walk up the driveway of 53 Unity Avenue, then walk back to the street. [The 911 caller] watched the two as they continued down the street.”

The 911 caller said he watched the two approach and ultimately enter a black Chevy Malibu that was parked on the property of 85 Wallingford Avenue, which has driveway access from Unity Avenue.

“[The 911 caller] stated he saw the vehicle doors open and people inside the vehicle,” Officer Forand said. “[The 911 caller] stated he also saw them enter a blue Chevy Malibu, bearing MA [# redacted], that was parked next to the black one. [The 911 caller] saw the two parties continue walking on Unity Avenue towards where he was sitting in his vehicle. [The 911 caller] saw the parties looking through a handful of items, consistent with someone looking through items they just obtained. [The 911 caller] specifically identified seeing a scratch ticket in the pile of items they were looking through. A scratch ticket was later found in Fregeau’s possession as a result of a search incident to arrest.”

Officer Forand said that based on the information gathered from the 911 caller, both Bezio and Fregeau were placed under arrest.

“Officer Steve Adams transported the parties back to the station,” Officer Forand said. “Once at the station, both parties were read their Miranda rights from the sign posted in the booking room. Both parties were searched, booked, and placed in secure cells. Bail Commissioner Davis Weiss set bail at $1,000 for each party.”

When Bezio was searched, police located a pill with “355 U” printed on it in a pocket of his jacket.

“A search through a pill identifier identified it to be consistent with Tramadol, which is a regulated drug,” Officer Forand said. “Bezio did not have the pill in a prescription bottle, not did he have a prescription bottle with him. Bezio also had a knife-style weapon consistent with brass knuckles in his possession. The knife-style weapon, if used in the same manner as brass knuckles, would have the same effect. Both parties have previously shown their intent is to go around town all throughout the night and check for unlocked vehicles. The parties then commit larceny and take items of value. Vehicle owners often leave cash, change tools, phones, computers, materials, medications, clothing, jewelry, etc. in their vehicles. The intent of these parties is to commit larceny which can easily rise to the level of a felony by the accumulation of items of value.”

On Thursday, November 28, 2024, Officer Forand met with Bernard [last name redacted], the owner of the black Chevy Malibu. Officer Forand briefed him about the previous night’s incident. Bernard mentioned to Officer Forand that although he didn’t find anything missing from his vehicle, he appreciated being informed about the incident. Bernard also noted that his neighbors at 64 Wallingford Avenue have security cameras in their driveway, adjacent to his parking spot.

Officer Forand then made contact with Toni [last name redacted], who resides at 64 Wallingford Avenue. Toni provided Officer Forand with security camera footage of both suspects in her vehicle, a red Jeep Cherokee.

“[Toni] stated she was missing a large amount of change (roughly $10), a winning $1 scratch ticket, and a lighter with the word ‘Capricorn’ on it,” Officer Forand said. Adding, “During the booking process and search incident to arrest, both Bezio’s and Fregeau’s property was searched. Within the bag Bezio was carrying was a large amount of change in one of the pockets. Within the property that Fregeau was arrested with was a winning $1 scratch ticket and a lighter with the word ‘Capricorn’ written on it. The scratch ticket and lighter were returned to [Toni]. Officers were unable to determine if all of the change located in Bezio’s bag was from [Toni’s] vehicle, or a combination of vehicles, so the change was entered into evidence.”

Bezio was charged with the following (the charges against Fregeau were not included in the documents obtained by News Link Live through a FOIA request to the Orange District Court; the explanations in parentheses are quotes from Officer Forand):

1. Breaking and Entering Vehicle/Boat Night for Felony (for breaking and entering into the vehicle with the intent to commit larceny, at night)
2. Conspiracy (for knowingly joining another person for the purpose of partaking in unlawful acts)
3. Possession of a Class E Drug (for possessing suspected Tramadol without a prescription)
4. Larceny under $1,200 (for attempting to permanently deprive the victim of their change, scratch ticket, and lighter)
5. Carrying a Dangerous Weapon (for carrying a metallic item shaped similarly to brass knuckles and if used in a manner brass knuckles are normally used in, would have the same effect)

Bezio was held on $1,000 cash bail until his arraignment, which took place in Orange District Court on Dec. 2, 2024.

His next court date is scheduled for January 21, 2025.

Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from November, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.

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