Charges from fatal crash/ another Burlington officer assaulted

Anibal Castro, Jr., 35, of Springfield, was sentenced in federal court May 20 to 72 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, federal authorities say.

Castro previously pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing a pipe bomb and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

According to court records, on April 6, 2022, while the Springfield Police Department and Vermont State Police were executing a state search warrant at Castro Jr.’s Valley Street residence, they discovered a ten and one-half inch pipe bomb. The pipe was made of aluminum with crimped metal ends covered in tape and had a pyrotechnic fuse extending out from inside the pipe. 

The words “BYE BYE !!” were written on the outside of the pipe.The pipe contained 650 BB pellets and black powder. The presence of BBs “further weaponized” the device. The ATF determined that an explosion of the device would produce blast effects capable of causing property damage, injury or death to people or property nearby. 

Also, from March – May 5, 2022, Castro worked with others to distribute heroin, cocaine base, and fentanyl on Valley Street in Springfield and elsewhere. He also armed himself with a firearm in connection with the drug trafficking.

On the morning of April 11, a devastating crash occurred on Route 100 in Moretown, leaving one life lost. The incident involved two vehicles, a Subaru and a tractor-trailer unit, both veering off the road’s east side.

State Police say the Subaru’s operator was pronounced deceased at the scene, the sole occupant of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the tractor-trailer driver was transported to Central Vermont Medical Center for medical attention. Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances that led to this heartbreaking collision, with evidence suggesting the tractor-trailer crossed into the opposite lane, resulting in a catastrophic head-on impact. The driver of the truck was officially detained later that day.

In a recent development, the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Satnam Singh, the 24-year-old tractor-trailer operator from Brampton, Ontario. Singh remains in custody pending his arraignment scheduled for May 22 at the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Barre.

Stolen car and an officer assaulted in Burlington

In the early hours of May 21, around 1:34 am, a routine patrol near the Fletcher Free Library took an unexpected turn when an officer with the Burlington Police Department spotted an idling vehicle believed to be stolen. As the officer approached to investigate, the situation quickly escalated, Burlington police say.

The driver, later identified as 41-year-old Nicholas Walls from Burlington, exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. Despite the officer’s clear identification and repeated orders to stop, Walls continued to evade arrest. When the officer attempted to apprehend him, Walls resorted to violence, punching and injuring the law enforcement official.

The struggle persisted until reinforcements arrived, finally enabling Walls’ arrest on charges of simple assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. However, the situation took a more complicated turn when dispatch revealed an outstanding warrant from the Williston Police Department, requiring Walls to be held without bail.

Walls had an extensive criminal history, including numerous failures to appear, violations of court orders, felony charges, misdemeanor convictions, assaultive crimes, and a sex crime conviction.