Athol man punches through window of Leominster home, attacks occupants over unpaid debt, threatens to kill officer at hospital after arrest

LEOMINSTER — On Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, at approximately 11:19 p.m., Officer Gabrielle Larivee and other members of the Leominster Police Department were dispatched to the residence located at 354 Mechanic Street following a report that a male party who does not live there broke a window and was trying to enter the residence.

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

“Officer [Johangel] Lorenzo and Officer [Carlos] Crespo-Delgado were already on scene when I arrived,” Officer Larivee said. “Officer Lorenzo was speaking with Jonathan Rivera and Robert [last name redacted] on the sidewalk, while Officer Crespo-Delgado was speaking with William [last name redacted] and Joshua [last name redacted] about 100 yards away.” William and Joshua reside at 354 Mechanic Street.

Upon arriving at the scene, police noted that the glass window on the front door of the residence was shattered, with fragments inside the doorway and on the ground outside. Additionally, blood was observed on the door just below the broken window.

“I spoke with Robert [last name redacted] first who stated that he was walking with Jonathan down Mechanic Street,” Officer Larivee said. “When they reached 354 Mechanic Street, Jonathan said that the people at the residence owe him money. Robert was intoxicated so he was unable to articulate what happened after that. He stated that people started hitting each other and he got cut from a metal object under his left eye. Robert was also unsure how that occurred. Robert said that they are all friends.”

Officer Larivee said that while she was attempting to speak with Robert, Rivera was yelling at the other officers on scene.

“It was difficult to understand what he was saying as he was slurring his speech and not making sense,” Officer Larivee said. “Jonathan was also pacing back and forth. Jonathan refused to lower his voice after being asked multiple times. Jonathan was yelling on the side of the road, telling officers to shut up. I believe that the volume of his voice at 11:19 p.m. could cause neighbors to wake up.”

Officer Larivee said that when she told Robert to take his hands out of his pockets, Rivera told him not to listen to her, and continued yelling at the officers on scene.

“Jonathan began yelling at me to shut up and continued to yell derogatory remarks to the other officers,” Officer Larivee said. “He told officers on scene to ‘$uck his d*ck’ and said that we are ‘bitches.’”

According to police, Jonathan L. Rivera, 33, is a resident of 224 Main Street, Apt. 3, Athol, MA.

“Officer Crespo-Delgado spoke with Jonathan in Spanish and it appeared that he was calming down,” Officer Larivee said. “Officer Crespo-Delgado stated that Jonathan told him that William and Joshua owe him money and that he was just coming to collect it when things escalated. Jonathan said that he ‘beat up the tall guy.’ Jonathan was also under the influence, so it was difficult to reason with him. It was also difficult to get a clear story.”

Officer Larivee said that she then went to the residence and spoke with William and Joshua.

“Joshua stated that he was standing in the doorway of his residence and Jonathan came to the door,” Officer Larivee said. “Jonathan was yelling and punched his hand through the glass of the door. The glass hit Joshua in the face causing a laceration. William said he was also at the door with his arm in front of Joshua to attempt to prevent a fight. Jonathan then attempted to open the door by moving the handle up and down. Joshua and William both went outside and began arguing with Jonathan.”

According to Officer Larivee, Joshua said that he was rolling around outside with Jonathan when Jonathan kicked him with his boots on.

“Joshua also stated that Jonathan was punching him in the face with a closed fist,” Officer Larivee said. “I observed the laceration on Joshua’s face and there appeared to be broken glass on the front steps of his residence. William also said that Jonathan came to the residence a few hours earlier looking for his money and wanting to fight William. Jonathan was still yelling on the sidewalk while I was speaking with Joshua.”

Officer Larivee said that at this time, Sergeant Ryan Morrell informed Officer Lorenzo to arrest Rivera.

Rivera was handcuffed and transported to the Leominster Police Station for booking.

“I spoke with Officer [Kyle] Klimowicz and he stated that while he was talking to Robert, Jonathan repeatedly went to Robert and said don’t say anything to them and pulled Robert away from Officer Klimowicz,” Officer Larivee said. Adding, “Jonathan requested to go to the hospital. EMS arrived and transported Jonathan to the hospital. While accompanying Jonathan [to the hospital], Officer [Zachary] Schaeffer stated that Jonathan threatened to kill him.”

Officer Larivee charged Jonathan with the following (her rationale for the charges is in parentheses):

1. Vandalize Property (for the broken window)
2. Assault & Battery with a Deadly Weapon (for kicking Joshua with a shod foot)
3. Threat to Commit Crime (for threatening to kill Officer Schaeffer)
4. Disorderly Conduct (for yelling on the sidewalk at night)

Rivera’s bail was set at $1,500.

Rivera was arraigned in Leominster District Court on Dec. 10, 2024. Following his arraignment, he was released on bail with the condition that he stay away from 354 Mechanic Street and not contact the victims. On January 7, 2025, he attended a pretrial conference. Rivera’s next court date is scheduled for February 7, 2025.

Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from December 2024, 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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