HAVERHILL — Fifteen teenagers ranging in age from 16 to 19 were arrested Wednesday night after police came upon an underage drinking party at a single-family home in Bradford.
Police said they didn't know about the party until they responded to a car accident in which one of the drivers had fled the scene. His damaged car was soon found parked near the house where the party was taking place.
A number of people who were in the yard when police arrived ran into the woods.
Teenagers from Haverhill, Methuen, Lawrence and Merrimac were at the party and were taken to the police station for booking. Their cases were forwarded to Haverhill District Court for review yesterday.
Deputy Chief Donald Thompson said that at 10:30 p.m., Wednesday, police responded to a crash at the intersection of Salem and Church streets in Bradford. When police arrived they found a damaged car in the road and several people standing around, including the driver, Michael Quevillon, 19, of 2 Yeaton Place.
"His car had been in an accident with another car that had left the scene," Thompson said, adding that Quevillon knew the driver of the other car, who was identified as Zachary Hansen, 19, of 1351 Broadway.
Thompson said police searched for Hansen's car and found it parked in the vicinity of a home at 27 Peabody St., not far from the crash.
When Officer Dennis Moriarty arrived at the address he could hear yelling, screaming and laughing coming from the house and property, Thompson said.
"Other officers arrived and found an underage drinking party taking place, both indoors and outside," Thompson said.
Police questioned Hansen and then charged him with operating under the influence of liquor, leaving the scene of an accident, being a minor in possession of alcohol, and carrying a dangerous weapon, brass knuckles.
According to court officials, Hansen was arraigned yesterday on the charges and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Aug. 26.
The other 14 teens, which included one 16-year-old juvenile, were charged with being minors in possession of alcohol. Jacob Jarosz, 18, of 27 Peabody St., was additionally charged with procuring liquor under the age of 21. According to city assessor records, the split cape-style, seven-room house at 27 Peabody St. is owned by Lisa Jarosz.
Thompson said the additional charge against Jacob Jarosz does not mean he provided the alcohol, but that he allowed underage drinking to take place on his property.
Thompson said there is no plan to charge the parent as there is no indication that the parent had knowledge of the party.
When police entered the house they found teens partying in the basement and kitchen, where beer cans were on countertops and tables, as well as in rooms upstairs. No adults were in the house at the time, police said.
"It was a dangerous situation and it involved kids from throughout the area," Thompson said. "We don't know how many others had cars, but Hansen had a car and he got into an accident."
Thompson said there had been no complaints about the party from neighbors and that police discovered it as a result of the crash Hansen was allegedly involved in.
"In our experience, bad things happen with underage parties," Thompson said. "They sometimes get into fatal car accidents with teens leaving these parties, and with people being injured when leaving on foot, or they can get so intoxicated they have to go to the hospital. And the residual effect is where some may commit malicious damage. A lot of bad things happen because of these parties."
According to court officials, a number of the teens arrested avoided being officially arraigned by accepting an offer to enter a diversion program run by the Essex County district attorney's office. Thompson said successful completion of the program allows a teen charged with a nonviolent crime to avoid a criminal record.
Thompson said his department had to devote about one-third of its available resources to respond to the party. He said Moriarty was assisted by Patrolman Michael Shinners and Sgt. Harry Miller, and that Officer Dana Burrill Jr. investigated the crash that led police to the party.
Police arrested the following teens on a charge of being a minor in possession of alcohol:
Kyle Sullivan, 18, 60 Winchester St.
Tyler Baker, 18, 57 Powder Mill Road
Timothy Nutter, 17, 2 Bard St.
Daniel Faraci, 19, 159 Crosby St. Extension
Stallone Mujuru, 18, 170 Washington St., #111
Andrew Morais, 19, 53 St. Botolph St.
16-year-old male, St. Botolph Street
Kianna Nicosia, 17, 35 Clement Court
Taylor Gross, 18, 31 Hammond Farm Road
Ann Sullivan, 18, 30 Grove St., Merrimac
Michaela Harris, 18, 118 Thoreau Way, Lawrence
Devin Capeless, 18, 105 Tyler St., Methuen
Haley Dolbeare, 18, Douglas Avenue, Methuen
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