VSP report: Charges in false shooting incident; highway patrol nets speeders
June 13, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout A man involved in a February incident in Waterbury Center that was falsely described as a shooting has a court date set for July to answer to a number of charges.
The Vermont State Police say that 30-year-old Ryan Sturtevant-Hatch has been in prison at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield since having received medical treatment for injuries in the incident that unfolded at several businesses in Waterbury on Feb. 14 and 15.
The investigation that followed has reached several conclusions, according to a news release by Det. Sgt. Amber Keener on Friday.
“It was determined that Sturtevant-Hatch had caused damage in excess of $9,600 to two of the cabins located on Cabin Lane and [he] burglarized one of those cabins,” Keener wrote.
Sturtevant-Hatch is scheduled for a hearing in Washington County Superior Court Criminal Division in Barre on July 13. He faces charges of burglary, obstruction of justice, false public alarm, unlawful mischief, false information to a police officer, assault on a protected professional, assault with bodily fluids, according to the press release.
Sturtevant-Hatch was arrested after being treated for an injury he claimed was the result of a shooting at the Stowe Cabins in the Woods off Vermont Route 100 in Waterbury Center. The investigation turned up no evidence that any shooting occurred, according to police.
Sturtevant-Hatch visited the office at the rental cabins making that claim and in need of shoes and some clothing. He then left on foot and went to the nearby Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea facility. He was taken into custody and transported to UVM Medical Center for treatment before being lodged in jail, initially for violating conditions of release on a prior unrelated incident in Stowe.
The charges connected with the February 15 incident come after investigators sorted out false information they say Sturtevant-Hatch provided to them.
Highway patrol nets multiple speeders
State troopers from the Berlin barracks recently conducted a targeted patrol seeking aggressive drivers on Interstate 89 in Orange and Washington Counties with a focus in Brookfield, Berlin, Montpelier and Waterbury.
The patrol aimed to enforce motor vehicle laws and promote safe driving ahead of the Memorial Day holiday. The patrol took place on Friday, May 26, between 5:15 and 7:45 p.m.
Five troopers participated and made a total of 18 traffic stops, according to a news release. The officers issued 11 tickets and eight written warnings, police said.
Three drivers were issued tickets for speeds in excess of 90 mph; one driver was ticketed for driving with a suspended license, police said.
State police remind motorists to drive responsibly by having a sober driver, leaving a safe distance between vehicles, putting phones down, and planning ahead.