Drugs and Crime

Man with drug dealing rap sheet charged with sex assault, cruelty to 14-year-old girl

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

by KeepVermontSafe.com

Saladene Stevens

Police have arrested Saladene K. Stevens, 32, of St. Johnsbury for a sexual relationship with a fourteen year old female.

Police say the relationship lasted for nearly two years where Stevens allegedly sexually assaulted and was cruel to the child.

The investigation began in March of 2023 and has not gathered enough evidence to arrest Stevens.

Stevens has been charged with Lewd and Lascivious Conduct with a Child, Sexual Assault on a Child under 16, Contributing to Juvenile Delinquency, Cruelty to a Child under 16 as well as Violation of conditions of Release relating to contact.

During KVS’ investigation, we found that Stevens has a lengthy criminal history including being charged for displaying a firearm at a St. Johnsbury bar, attempting to smuggle cocaine into Northeast Regional Correctional Facility, a car crash, and domestic assault.

He was cited to appear in court on November 22.

This isn’t Stevens’ only police interaction this month. According to the police on Nov. 11, Stevens crashed his vehicle into a building and a trash can before his arrest.

Click here to go to KeepVermontSafe.com

A subsequent search led to the discovery of an excessive quantity of Oxycodone, with Stevens in possession of more than 100 times the benchmark dose.

Investigations revealed that prior to the crash, Stevens had allegedly committed simple assault against a protected person, vandalized their property by slashing car tires, and breached his conditions of release.

Stevens was taken into custody and processed at the police department.

He was then held at the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility on a $5,000 cash or surety bail.

Man attempts to steal Kinney Drugs ATM, police seek Information

The incident happened in downtown Burlington where an unknown man in a silver Mitsubishi smashed his way into Kinney Drugs and attempted to steal the ATM inside.

The incident occurred at around 4:30 in the morning on November 20, that’s when the suspect broke the glass and entered the building. The suspect proceeded to tie a chain around the ATM and used the car to yank it out into the parking lot before attempting to break into it.

It appears he was unsuccessful in doing so, and drove away shortly thereafter.

The Burlington Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the vehicle of interest in this case. The vehicle is believed to be a silver Mitsubishi with heavily tinted windows, a spoiler, LED headlights, and distinct black rims. The vehicle was last known to be traveling west on Prospect Parkway towards Shelburne Road.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Police Department at (802) 658-2704.

Police arrest man with long rap sheet for unlawful mischief

Police arrested Joshua Birch, 48, of Burlington on November 8 for multiple instances of alleged unlawful mischief. 

Police received several calls from different parts of the city describing a man engaging in unlawful behavior, such as kicking people’s car doors.

Officers arrived at the scene and ordered Birch to stop, but he refused to comply with police. Birch walked away while shouting obscenities and racial remarks. 

When police placed him under arrest he resisted and assaulted the arresting officer. Additional officers responded to assist and Birch was taken into custody for unlawful mischief, aggravated assault, hate motivated crime, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Police Department at (802) 658-2704.

Birch’s criminal history includes:

6 failures to appear

1 charge for violations of court orders or conditions

3 felony charges

13 misdemeanor charges with 1 conviction

4 assaultive crime charges

2 charges for dangerous/deadly weapons

Police to conduct sobriety and seatbelt checks during holidays

Several police departments, including St. Johnsbury PD and VSP have warned that they will be conducting sobriety and seat belt checkpoints on a variety of Vermont roads.

The Vermont State Police will check driver sobriety in Bennington county, but also in other areas of Vermont.

The St. Johnsbury Police Department, State, County, and Local law enforcement agencies will also be conducting saturation patrols and checkpoints to ensure that motorists are using their seatbelts this holiday travel season. 

Buckle up and drive sober this holiday season.


Discover more from Vermont Daily Chronicle

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Categories: Drugs and Crime

8 replies »

  1. RE: Birch’s criminal history includes:
    6 failures to appear
    1 charge for violations of court orders or conditions
    3 felony charges
    13 misdemeanor charges with 1 conviction
    4 assaultive crime charges
    2 charges for dangerous/deadly weapons
    And now, rape.

    “I’d like to make it very clear that getting bitten by a venomous snake is dumb, clumsy, and nothing to be proud of.” – Romulus Whitaker.

  2. This transplant ” POS ” if found guilty on these charges, needs to be locked up and the key thrown away……………. we need the death penalty for trash like this, now that would be justice !!

  3. We need to get these perverts off the street and behind bars or on a plane out of the country!!

  4. What punishment happens to everyone in the judicial system that directly participated in allowing this criminal back into the community? What are their names? They are complicit in the injury to the 14 year old. We should charge them with dereliction of duty, criminal negligence, and risk of injury to a minor.

  5. “Several police departments, including St. Johnsbury PD and VSP have warned that they will be conducting sobriety and seat belt checkpoints on a variety of Vermont roads.”

    The constitution explicitly prohibits this. These are clear and blatant crimes. Pull over people who are drunk, don’t pull over everyone because someone MIGHT be drunk. This is a disgraceful disgusting display of the failure of the police officers to uphold their oath. Anyone participating in these illegal stops should be arrested, at the very least ridiculed and shamed by their community.