The Vermont State Police is investigating the April 28 death of an inmate at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield. Police were notified at 6:39 a.m. that Matthew Castellini, 35, of White River Junction was found by Department of Corrections staff unresponsive in his cell at 6:04 a.m. Correctional and medical staff attempted life-saving measures, and emergency medical services were contacted and responded to the facility. EMS pronounced the inmate deceased on scene.

Detectives from the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations were notified and responded to the facility to perform a death investigation. Preliminary investigation indicates the victim died by suicide. An autopsy will be performed at the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to confirm the cause and manner of death.

According to archived media reports, in 2015 Castellini was accused of breaking into two Quechee homes and threatening occupants. It is not known why he was incarcerated at the time of his death. 

Sex assault on minor – A Springfield man has been charged with sex assault of a minor. 

In late 2021, police became aware of allegations that Pedro Rivera-Garcia, 33, had sex with a female under age 16 in Bethel. On April 28 he was arrested and charged with 26 counts of Violations of Conditions of Release, one count of Sexual Assault, and one count of Attempted Obstruction of Justice.  

Rivera-Garcia is incarcerated at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield due to other pending charges. He will be arraigned on the above charges today. 

Fiery fatal crash – April 28 at 7 AM, state police responded to a fiery crash on US Route 5 in Irasburg in which a Barton man died. 

Both vehicles were fully engulfed in fire when first responders arrived. Investigation revealed Greg Willis, 43, of Barton, operator of a Dodge Ram pick-up, traveled north along Route 5 and veered completely into the southbound lane of travel where it collided with a tractor truck hauling an empty milk trailer. 

Immediately after colliding, both vehicles caught fire. Barton, the sole occupant of the pick-up, was fatally injured as a result of the crash and ensuing fire. The operator of the tractor trailer, Travis Degre, was uninjured.

Death on Harley – James Oboyle, 59, of Randolph died April 25 in a motorcycle crash in Randolph. 

Police say Oboyle was not wearing a helmet in the single-vehicle crash on Route 66, Randolph near the intersection of Route 14. He was driving a 2001 Harley Davidson. Also responding was White River Ambulance, Randolph Fire Department, and DHART (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team, Helicopter). The operator suffered serious injuries and was flown to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center where he later died.