Massachusetts
Massachusetts store unknowingly sold counterfeit sneakers
MILFORD – Police in Milford say a high-end shoe store unknowingly sold counterfeit shoes. Now the owner is offering refunds and tells WBZ he was also shocked to learn he was selling counterfeits.
In the booming sneaker biz, the Family Sneakers House thought they the getting a deal from their Chinese distributor, but Milford police say it turned out they were duped with counterfeit sneakers.
$200,000 in counterfeit items
Police seized more than 1,200 sneakers worth $200,000 if they were authentic.
“If it’s too good to be true, it usually is,” said Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino.
Police said the investigation started after they got concerns about the shoes last year.
“We sent someone in there to buy some shoes and sure enough buyer beware, they weren’t legit, they were counterfeit,” said Chief Tusino.
Ordered from Chinese distributor
Detectives say the owner was ordering products from a Chinese distributor, paying via wire transfer and didn’t know the shoes were counterfeits.
The store is new to the sneaker game, only open for a year.
“This person running the store didn’t really know,” said Chief Tusino. “We’re very pleased that the owner was very accommodating and remorseful because they were scammed too, it wasn’t just the consumer.”
Luxury sneakers are a big business that can come with big-time scammers. So, in the big sneaker business, how can you tell what’s real and what’s not? We asked some veterans in the shoe game for answers.
How to spot fake sneakers
Ferguson Herivaux has owned Limited Stock in Boston for years, featuring some of the most coveted footwear.
“It’s a little challenging and it’s a complex process to begin with,” said Herivaux. “First thing is the sole. If you’re able to squeeze the sole with two fingers that’s the first sign, you can’t squeeze this shoe no matter how hard you try. Obviously second is the stitching.”
Other things to look for are the colors of the shoes and the tag inside the shoes.
If ever in doubt, Herivaux says ask an expert or use an app too to verify authenticity because the bigger the business gets, the more fakes make the rounds.
“It’s a really, really big problem and quite frankly I understand the allure. It’s quick, cheap, people are willing to pay way less,” said Herivaux. “A lot of the times it’s the price. If a deal is too good to be true, it’s not true”.
In Milford, the owner of Family Sneakers House said the store is open and has authentic merchandise.
BOLTON, Vt. (WCAX) – One woman is dead after a crash on Interstate 89 on Friday.
It happened in Bolton at around mile marker 73 in the northbound lanes just before noon.
Vermont state police say 62-year-old Janet Montgomery of Somerville, Massachusetts, was the passenger in a car that swerved into the median to avoid a merging tractor-trailer unit.
That’s when police say that the car crashed into a tree.
Both Montgomery and the driver were taken to UVM Medical Center for suspected minor injuries, but that’s when Montgomery passed away.
Police say they believe there were more serious injuries that they did not know about before her transport to the hospital.
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Officials have released new information amid their ongoing investigation into the massive house fire that killed a woman in Needham, Massachusetts, early on Christmas Eve.
The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said in an update Friday that the cause of Wednesday’s blaze at 28 Woodworth Road remains undetermined at this time, but preliminary evidence suggests it started in the home’s garage and was accidental, not suspicious.
The deadly fire is being jointly investigated by the Needham Fire Department, Needham Police, Massachusetts State Police fire investigators assigned to the state fire marshal’s office, and state police assigned to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office.
Dozens of firefighters battled a fire that left a young woman dead.
Investigators, citing an examination on scene, as well as witness interviews and other evidence, say they believe the flames began in the rear of an attached garage located at the right side of the three-story, single-family home. Several potential heat sources were identified in that area that could have contributed to the fire, all of which were accidental, according to officials.
One occupant, only identified so far as a woman in her 20s, was found dead inside the home. Two other adults escaped and were treated at the scene.
“Our thoughts have been with the family since the early morning hours of December 24 and they remain with the family today,” Needham Fire Chief Thomas Conroy said in a statement Friday. “I want to recognize the outpouring of compassion from Needham residents who are sending their love and support.”
The deadly fire right before Christmas has been a heart wrenching event for the entire community, including the first responders.
The raging fire drew a four-alarm response shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday, with about 75 firefighters from across the region, including places like Boston, Brookline, Dedham, Natick, Newton, Norwood, Milton, Wellesley, and Westwood, battling the flames for more than seven hours.
The home sustained catastrophic damage, officials have said, and all residents have been displaced since Wednesday.
It’s unclear when authorities will release the victim’s name. No other information was provided Friday.
First responders working the holiday shift helped deliver baby boys in two Massachusetts communities on Thursday.
The Stoughton Police Department praised two of its members for “a Christmas morning miracle.”
Officers there responded to a report of a woman in active labor inside a car on Glen Echo Boulevard, about 18 miles south of Boston. The department said Sgt. Medeiros, a father, and Officer Guzman, a mother, helped deliver the baby in the backseat.
“At 6:17 a.m., a healthy baby boy was born—right on Christmas morning,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Guzman “calmly directed” the mother-to-be to push, and Medeiros helped to clear the baby’s mouth and nose so the newborn could start crying for the first time, police said.
“We are proud of Sgt. Medeiros and Officer Guzman for their quick actions, teamwork, and compassion during this once-in-a-lifetime Christmas miracle,” the department said. “From all of us at the Stoughton Police Department, congratulations to the new mother and her family, and welcome to the world, little one.”
Mom and baby were taken by ambulance to a Boston hospital, where they were doing well.
And in Medford, Armstrong Ambulance Service said its EMTs helped deliver “a very merry Christmas surprise.” They shared a photo of the first responders holding “stork” pins.
“Earlier this morning, Medford A1 and A2 assisted with the delivery of a baby boy, making this holiday season even more special,” the ambulance service said. “What an incredible way to start Christmas-welcoming new life into the world!”
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