Thieves Steal MA Couple's Wedding Gifts: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Thursday, August 5. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• The trial of the two men charged in the 2016 death of Tewksbury boy Ethan Costello is set to begin Aug. 9, but more delays could come.
• A former Worcester Housing Development Office official is facing a long federal prison sentence after her conviction on fraud charges this week, according to federal prosecutors.
• For the second time in as many weeks, a tiny earthquake centered in Peabody was recorded. Most North Shore residents, however, probably didn't notice.

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

Today's Top Story

Two people wanted in connection with a break-in in Malden earlier this week are accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of wedding gifts.

The father of the bride told WHDH he went down to investigate a noise, but did not realize someone had broken in until the next day. The soon-to-be newlyweds were storing the gifts at the home of the bride's parents, where they plan to live once they are married.

Also on Patch: Four Break-Ins Reported In Somerville In One Week

The break-in was reported Aug. 2 on the 200 block of Broadway, police said. One of the suspects appeared to be wearing a fedora-style hat, police said. Surveillance images show another person interacting with the man on the porch of the home.

Read the full story.

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Thursday's Other Top Stories

Trial set to begin 5 years after teen's death: The trial of the two men charged in the 2016 death of Tewksbury boy Ethan Costello is set to begin Aug. 9, but more delays could come, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said. Joseph Zagarella is charged with manslaughter and Joseph Ogden is accused of providing alcohol to minors at the Oct. 2016 Halloween party where prosecutors say Zagarella slammed Costello onto a concrete floor. The trial was initially scheduled to open in Nov. 2018 but has gone through years of delays, including the State Medical Examiner's Office report taking nearly a year.

Ex-official guilty of massive fraud: A former Worcester Housing Development Office official is facing a long federal prison sentence after her conviction on fraud charges this week, according to federal prosecutors. A jury this week found Jacklyn Sutcivni, 47, of Dracut, guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the federal government and false claims. According to prosecutors, she helped funnel millions in federal funds to a Natick developer for work on a multifamily property that never occurred. That developer, James Levin, pleaded guilty in September 2020 and was sentenced in March to three years in federal prison, three years of supervised release and to forfeit nearly $2 million.

Guilty plea in co-workers death: A Braintree construction worker pleaded guilty to an aggravated assault that led to the death of his co-worker and friend from Wilmington, according to Maine state prosecutors. Robert Clarke, 35, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, the Associate Press reported. Clark also originally indicted on a manslaughter charge, but the Maine Attorney General's Office agreed to dismiss the charge as a part of an agreement with Clarke's attorney. Clarke faced a potential 10-year prison sentence before the agreement.

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

Picture This

Good news for love birds: A goose who underwent surgery at the Cape Wildlife Center is a step closer to being reunited with its devoted mate in the wild. Arnold, a Canadian goose, underwent surgery last month, after staff found him suffering in pain at a pond near the Cape Wildlife Center. Typically the center doesn't allow patient visitors, the staff made a heartwarming exception. The exception was because Arnold's longtime mate Amelia stood outside the window of the animal hospital and refused to leave, until she knew her partner was safe.

They Said It

"He's somebody that, in my opinion, should not be out in the public."

• Nathan Sabo, a neighborhood activist in Worcester, in his complaint to the Massachusetts Attorney General against a Worcester police officer. Sabo claims the cop berated him after Sunday's Worcester Red Sox game.

By The Numbers

1.2: The magnitude for an earthquake detected in Peabody Wednesday. It was the second, tiny earthquake centered in the North Shore city in as many weeks.