PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An Adams man has been charged in the murder of 32-year-old Stephanie Olivieri of Yonkers, N.Y.

 

Tyler Sumner, 25, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on a single count of murder on Monday.

 

He is being held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without bail.

 

Sumner was arrested in Adams on Saturday by Pittsfield Police, with assistance from Adams Police and North Adams Police. The charge is in connection with the Aug. 25 shooting on Columbus Avenue in Pittsfield that killed Olivieri.

 

Olivieri, a native of Pittsfield, suffered a single gunshot wound while sitting in a silver sedan near the intersection of Columbus and South John Street in the early morning hours that Sunday. Investigators do not believe that Olivieri was the intended target of the shooting.

 

This investigation has been led by the Pittsfield Police Department with assistance from the state police detectives assigned to the Berkshire District attorney's office and the Berkshire County Crime Task Force.

 

"I send my heartfelt condolences to the Olivieri family for their tragic loss," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said.

 

"I am exceedingly proud of this investigation. It has been highly collaborative with excellent leadership from PPD. The tireless efforts of the investigative team in the pursuit of justice for Ms. Olivieri cannot be overstated."

 

Olivieri attended the former St. Joseph's High and Pittsfield High and left her parents, a brother and two young children. Her family has started a GoFundMe. 

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Bard College at Simon’s Rock has canceled classes for the week as it deals with an assault on a student and the appearance of racist and anti-Semitic graffiti.

 

Police are investigating an assault that occurred on Friday at 2 p.m. on a wooded area of the campus. The victim was taken by ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield and treated for minor injuries and released, according to Great Barrington Police and district attorney's office. 

 

The Berkshire Edge reports that the college community was apprised by email that "a student of color was physically assaulted on the Simon's Rock campus by an as yet unidentified assailant."

 

The email states that the decision was made by the senior college officials along with the Black Student Union and faculty. Instructors will be available on campus during their regularly scheduled classes and office hours. 

 

Bard College is a top-ranked private liberal arts college with a small enrollment of about 400. 

 

The assault is being investigated by local and state police units and the college's Campus Safety Office.

READSBORO, Vt. — A Williamstown, Mass., man was seriously injured early Friday afternoon when the motorcycle he was driving struck a guard rail on Route 100. 

 

According to state police, Fran A. Rosasco, 74, was taken by medical helicopter to Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center as a precaution because of the severity of the injuries to his chest, knee and shoulder. 

 

The 2003 Harley-Davidson that Rosasco was riding is considered totaled. 

 

A report by Trooper Colin Shepley of the Shaftsbury barracks states that Rosasco was traveling with another motorcyclist north on Route 100 when he failed to make a lefthand turn in the road. His motorcycle stayed to the right, hitting the guard rail, and he was thrown off the bike. 

 

The accident occurred just after noontime and about a mile south of Branch Hill Road. Conditions were clear and dry and temperatures around 70 degrees. 

 

Northern Berkshire EMS of North Adams, Mass., was called to the scene and state police learned the helicopter had been requested prior to Shepley's arrival. 

 

State police were also assisted on scene by Stamford and Readsboro Fire Departments, the Bennington County Sheriff's Department and Heartwellville Towing.

 

A traffic violation complaint is pending. 

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A swift response knocked down a small fire in a garage bay at Village Truck Sales on Thursday evening. 

 

A motorist notified police that he believed there was a fire at the Route 8 business and Fire Chief Charlie Durfee said the call of a structure fire came in at 5:39 p.m.

 

"The first engines to pull up on scene were Lanesborough and Cheshire's Engine 2, because they come for us right away, and they found a small fire inside the [bay] door on the left," he said. "We got in and knocked it down quick. ... There was more smoke than anything."

 

The blaze was contained to the inside corner in the northern-most bay and Durfee estimated the damage at probably not more than $5,000. A few items, including a toolbox and some car parts, were pulled out of the damaged bay. The area above the door was blackened from smoke but did not incur any fire damage.

 

Durfee said the cause is still under investigation but he's considering it an accidental fire. 

 

"They got lucky," he said. "The guys did a great job."

 

The business is outside the water district so both Cheshire and Dalton sent tankers and Lanesborough set up its pool as a water supply. Lanesborough Ambulance, Lanesborough and Cheshire Police and state police from the Cheshire barracks also provided aid. 

 

The busy highway was closed and traffic detoured over Old State Road for about an hour. The road was reopened at about 6:45 p.m.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Former Williams College student Yoonsang Bae has been found guilty of raping a classmate five years ago.

 

He was convicted on Friday in Berkshire Superior Court by Judge Michael Callan of a single count of rape relating to an on-campus incident in 2014.

 

The 27-year-old Bae will be sentenced on Friday, Sept. 13.

 

The victim, who was 19 at the time, testified that after attending an event with Bae, she returned to his room for a drink. She then got sick from the alcohol and Bae placed her in his bed where she passed out. When she awoke, Bae was raping her. He refused to stop despite her protests. The two were both Williams College students at the time.

 

She reported the rape to New York authorities, contacted the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, and underwent a sexual assault examination at a hospital in New York. Williams College investigated the incident and suspended Bae for two years. The Williamstown Police Department conducted a criminal investigation.

 

"I want to thank the victim in this case for her strength and courage," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said. "She is a hero for coming forward and sharing her story. My office will not plea rape charges down to lesser offenses when we have victims who wish to go to trial.

 

"When I took office in January, my first priority was to seek justice for victims by aggressively prosecuting violent crime. This is what being tough on crime should look like."

 

Bae was indicted on a single count of rape on Aug. 9, 2017. Prosecutors say he had been offered an agreement by the prior administration that would have allowed him to plead to the lesser charge of indecent assault and battery and that the case would have been continued without a finding of guilt. Bae did not accept the plea agreement.

 

After taking office, Harrington said she did not extend any plea bargains and opted to pursue the rape charge instead, culminating in Firday's guilty verdict.

 

The case was prosecuted by Stephanie Ilberg.