WHAV (https://whav.net/2023/07/20/man-pleads-not-guilty-to-toppling-westgate-transformers-creating-100000-hazmat-scene/)
Salvador A. Castro-Perlera of Somerville, right, during his arraignment July 19, in Haverhill District Court. (WHAV News photograph.) Pick And Place Machine
A 42-year-old man was arraigned in Haverhill District Court Wednesday on charges related to the toppling of an electrical transformer at Westgate Center Monday that caused a hazardous waste spill with cleanup costs estimated to be more than $100,000.
Salvador A. Castro-Perlera of Somerville pleaded not guilty on charges of malicious destruction of property valued at greater than $1,200, attempting to commit a crime and breaking and entering in the daytime to commit a felony.
Police said in a report Castro-Perlera was a subcontractor at the 401 Lowell Ave. site, adjacent to Interstate 495 and River Street, where a hotel is being demolished and new one being built. Police allege the man stayed after work Monday, used another contractor’s Komatsu loader to take underground copper wires, toppling transformers on a pole across the street and leaking hazardous oil.
In an initial interview Tuesday afternoon with Haverhill Police Detectives Kaylee Sarfde and Sgt. Michael Shinners, and translated by Officer Milady Figueroa, Castro-Perlera denied using the loader and pulling the wires from the ground, according to a police report. Later, however, according to the same report, Castro-Perlera admitted to Detective Sean Harrison that he used the loader without permission and moved the wire, but his intent was only to clean the site. He added he did not realize the copper wire in the hole was connected to the utility pole across the street.
A construction foreman, who first told police about the alleged tampering with the wires, said in the report Castro-Perlera’s only job was “to move gravel and to maintain and operate the ‘crusher’ machine.”
Widespread theft of copper wire for its salvage value has been reported across the country.
A Haverhill Fire Department was dispatched to the scene of the fallen transformers Monday at about 3:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Lowell Avenue was closed from River Street to the rear entrance of Westgate Center as a crew from Clean Harbors cleaned the site. In an email Wednesday to city officials, National Grid said the transformer was tested and found to contain cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.
Judge Susan H. McNeil upheld an initial bail amount of $2,500 and ordered Castro-Perlera to stay away from the Lowell Avenue scene and return for a pre-trial hearing Sept. 14. The prosecutor is Essex County Assistant District Attorney Cal Skeirik.
A new utility pole, on right, goes up on Lowell Avenue to replace one on left that held PCB-contaminated electrical transformers. (WHAV News photograph.)
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