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Suspect in assault on Mason police chief arrested

MASON – Police in Massachusetts have arrested Russell Monbleau III four days after he allegedly assaulted the Mason chief of police.

Monbleau, 38, was arrested without incident around 10 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28, at a Fitchburg, Mass., residence, said Mason Sgt. Kevin Maxwell.

He was scheduled to be arraigned the same day in Fitchburg District Court on fugitive from justice charges, Maxwell said. If he waves extradition, he will be back in New Hampshire in one to 10 days.

Area police searched for the former resident of Milford and Hollis after he allegedly assaulted the Mason police chief during a traffic stop then fled into nearby woods.

Monbleau, who now lives in Fitchburg, and has a history of arrests for offenses that include drug possession and hosting an underage drinking party, allegedly attacked Chief Barry G. Hutchins around 8:40 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, after Hutchins stopped a vehicle in which Monbleau was a passenger.

The Monadnock Ledger Transcript, of Peterborough, reported that Monbleau struck Hutchins multiple times, fought with him on the ground and threw a metal chair at him as Hutchins attempted to arrest Monbleau for possession of crack cocaine. Monbleau then ran into the woods in the area of 80 Brookline Road, where the stop had occurred.

The driver, Amherst resident Danielle Dickstein, 34, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and crack cocaine, the Ledger Transcript reported.

Dickstein also has a history of arrests in the Milford area, most recently on misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a minor in August 2012. Records show that Monbleau, who lived in Hollis at the time, was being sought by police on similar charges.

In the Friday incident, police from Brookline, New Ipswich and Temple-Greenville departments, along with K-9 units from Milford and state police, responded to assist Hutchins and Mason officers in the manhunt for Monbleau. Police didn’t give details on the extent of Hutchins’ injuries, or whether he needed medical attention or was transported to a hospital.

In May 2009, Monbleau was arrested in Milford for facilitating an underage drinking party, along with assault and resisting arrest. Then-Chief Fred Douglas told news outlets that police found numerous teenagers, some hiding and some fleeing, at 2A Marshall St., which was listed as Monbleau’s address at the time. Three months later, Monbleau was indicted on two felony counts of possession of controlled drugs, but failed to appear in court.

Monbleau was arrested in November 2011, this time in Milford, for driving with a suspended license and possession of drugs. He was driving a car that struck a pedestrian on the Oval, but faced no charges from the accident itself.

In August 2012, Monbleau and Dickstein were charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor after police investigated a Department of Children, Youth and Families report that the two had provided marijuana to two males, ages 13 and 16, at a Hollis residence.

Dickstein was released on bail, but police were unable to locate Monbleau and issued a warrant for his arrest. Monbleau turned himself in four days later, according to records.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at kcleveland@cabinet.com or 673-3100, ext. 304.

Dean Shalhoup can be reached at 594-6443 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com. Also follow Shalhoup on Twitter (@Telegraph_DeanS).