MA AG: Dental Chain Used 'Bait-And-Switch' Ads | Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Monday, Dec. 13. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Investigators identified the body found behind Wakefield High School last week as the remains of a man who went missing in May 2020.
• A man was set to face charges Monday after police say he 'senselessly' attacked a 92-year-old man at a Quincy MBTA station over the weekend.
• The victim of a homicide that happened Saturday night in Saugus has been identified by the Essex District Attorney's Office.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

Attorney General Maura Healey is suing a chain of dental offices over deceptive advertising practices, alleging the company lured consumers into stores with deals and services that didn't materialize.

Healey filed a lawsuit Friday under the state Consumer Protection Law against Aspen Dental, which operates hundreds of dental practices across the U.S., including 25 in Massachusetts in Natick, Worcester and Auburn and beyond.

According to Healey, Aspen advertised free initial appointments for people with dental emergencies, but would later bill the patients for those visits. The chain also failed to disclose limitations on some offers, like money-back guarantees on dentures, she said.

Read the full story.

Monday's Other Top Stories

Arrest in 'senseless' attack: A man was set to face charges Monday after police say he 'senselessly' attacked a 92-year-old man at a Quincy MBTA station over the weekend. MBTA Transit Police responded to the Quincy Center Station Saturday at 2:30 p.m. after receiving an assault report on an elderly man. Once police got to the station, they said they found the man bleeding from his head after being shoved from behind and onto the pavement while a concerned citizen helped try to control the bleeding.

Hockey history in Worcester: A Waltham woman broke a professional hockey glass ceiling — or perhaps ice ceiling — during a Worcester Railers game over the weekend. During Saturday's match between the Worcester Railers and the Maine Mariners, Laura Schmidlein became the first woman to officiate a game in the 34 years the ECHL has been in existence. Schmidlein has been a longtime hockey player, according to the ECHL. She played the sport for four years at Amherst College before officiating for the ECHL.

Homicide victim identified: The victim of a homicide that happened Saturday night in Saugus has been identified by the Essex District Attorney's Office. On Monday, authorities named Michael Norton, 26, as the victim of the fatal incident at the Essex Landing apartment complex. Around the same time Norton was identified, WCVB reported police arresting a man after a short pursuit that ended with a car crash in front of a home on Gilway Street in Saugus.

Police rally around 6-year-old with cancer: Police officers from around Massachusetts dropped by the Malden Police Department on Friday to show their support for a local boy battling cancer. Six-year-old Mauro Polanco was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in August 2020, the police department said. Cops For Kids With Cancer donated $5,000 to the Polanco family. "We're with you, the Blue is with you, and we'll always be with you," Chief Kevin Molis said.

Student dies in crash: Police say an 11th grade student from Brockton High School was killed in a crash Sunday night. First responders arrived at the scene near 422 East St. around 9:28 p.m. Sunday to find a car had struck a utility pole and tree. Police say the driver was trapped inside the car against a tree, with a snapped utility pole close by.

Do you have the best Christmas lights in America? Enter our contest and find out.

Picture This: Human Remains Identified

Investigators identified the body found behind Wakefield High School last week as the remains of a man who went missing in May 2020. A crew surveying a wooded area behind the school found the remains of Patrick Shea, 68, of Wakefield, last Tuesday. The Middlesex District Attorney's office released the identification on Sunday. While the investigation is ongoing, the office said it does not suspect foul play. Shea was last seen at his home near downtown Wakefield on May 6, 2020.

In Case You Missed It

Help for hardest-hit towns: The state will distribute 2 million rapid at-home tests to the 102 communities hit the hardest by COVID-19, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday. The tests are the start of a large-scale bulk purchasing agreement Baker's administration is finalizing. This initial round is expected to reach about 3.7 million Massachusetts residents. "We are already a national leader on COVID testing and this will build on that," Baker said at a press conference. "[It is] potentially a game changer as we continue to battle COVID here in the Commonwealth."

Chick-fil-A opening 1st Boston location: After years of controversy and uncertainty, Boston is getting its first Chick-fil-A location in just a matter of weeks. The decision comes almost ten years after the late Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said he would block the fast-food chain from entering the city when CEO Dan Cathy spoke out against gay marriage in 2012, while making financial contributions to organizations that oppose same-sex marriage. The Georgia-based chicken sandwich chain has since backed away from some of its political statements after a number of protestors asked for a boycott.