LEOMINSTER — On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at approximately 12:15 p.m., Officer Tanner Jakola of the Leominster Police Department was dispatched to 35 Hill Street following a report that John Geissler had broken into the home.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Tanner Jakola and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
Officer Jakola said Geissler had been arrested the previous Saturday for breaking into the same residence and was summoned to court for the same offense earlier in the month.
“The property of 35 Hill Street is condemned,” Officer Jakola said. “The windows are boarded up and the house is secured by a lock box, it is clear that no one is allowed on the property and given John’s history of being arrested at, and trespassed from, 35 Hill Street, he should be aware of this.”
At this time, Officer Christian Schwartz and Sergeant Elvin Vasquez arrived on scene to assist.
According to police, John E. Geissler, 47, is homeless in Leominster, MA.
“Upon arrival, I witnessed John standing on the property of 35 Hill St near the mailbox,” Officer Jakola said. “A contractor for the bank (Century 21-Fermin Group) who owns the property of 35 Hill Street, Gary Gustafson, was on scene along with the Building Inspector for the City of Leominster Jose Lopez and Code Enforcement Luke Beaulac. Jose stated that he witnessed John inside of the residence and had him come outside the property. With this information, I detained John (handcuffed-double locked and checked for tightness) and placed him in the back of my cruiser to continue my investigation.”
Officer Jakola said he then spoke with Gustafson, who stated he was about to enter the lockbox code to access the residence when he heard noises coming from inside the home.
“Jose was with Gary and they both saw John in the living room inside the residence,” Officer Jakola said. “They told John to come out. John complied and left the residence through a sliding glass door that opens up to the top of the garage. Police were called shortly after.”
Officer Jakola said that – at this time – Gustafson unlocked the door and police then cleared Geissler’s items from the house.
“There were multiple bags with personal property throughout the house,” Officer Jakola said. “The two bedrooms were unkept and the beds were unmade. It was clear someone had been living in the residence.”
Officer Jakola said he observed that the sliding glass door above the garage was unlocked.
“There was no damage or signs of forced entry to the windows that are boarded up or the doors,” Officer Jakola said. “It is presumed John is making entry through the unlocked sliding glass door. Officers advised Gary of this.”
John Geissler was arrested and charged with the following:
- Trespassing after Notice
- Breaking & Entering for Misdemeanor
Officer Jakola transported Geissler to the station for booking.
In his supplemental narrative for the incident, Lietenant Sean Ferguson stated that during booking, he asked Geissler whether he needed medical attention for a hand injury.
“Mr Geissler had a wound to his right hand,” Lt. Ferguson said. “He said he burnt it while smoking crack. No medical treatment requested.”
Geissler’s bail was set at $1,000.
Geissler couldn’t make bail, so during his arraignment on Aug. 12, 2025, in Leominster District Court, Judge Mark Noonan ordered that he be committed to the Worcester County House of Corrections until his next court appearance, a discovery compliance and jury election hearing scheduled for Oct. 8, 2025.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in August, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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