Police charge Westport man with assault and robbery

Justin N. Ramut, 29, of Westport, Mass., is being held in the Barnstable House of Correction on $10,000 bail after his arrest last Thursday on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot) and unarmed robbery. Ramut was arrested at 4 Sparks Ave. for the incident which allegedly occurred around 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday in the South Shore beach area.

He is charged with beating and kicking Michael Coulstring, 45, Plymouth, Mass. and then stealing $43 from him. The arrest took place after an investigation by Detectives Michael Lemenager and Steve Tornovish with assistance from state trooper Kevin Bates.

Ramut, who has a criminal record, was sentenced on January 18, 2008 in Fall River District Court to serve six months of a two-year term on charges of assault and battery. He was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and that charge was filed. Ramut was placed on probation for the 18 months of the jail term that was suspended.

According to a statement of facts filed with the Nantucket District Court, Coulstring reported to police that he had been assaulted and robbed after being picked up outside LoLa 41 on North Beach Street by a white male and a black man. The white male passenger, later identified as Ramut in a photo line-up police showed to Coulstring, invited him to join them in drinking beer at the beach. Coulstring told police he had already been drinking and accepted the offer.

On the way out of town, said Coulstring, Ramut asked him if he had any cocaine. When he said he did not do drugs, Ramut allegedly struck him across the face. The driver, named as Stafford L. Campbell, 32, stopped the vehicle on the roadside and Ramut allegedly pulled Coulstring from the vehicle, threw him on the ground in a swampy area and repeatedly punched and kicked him. Ramut then took Coulstring's wallet from his pants pocket and removed $43, tossed the wallet on Coulstring's chest and punched and kicked him several more times.

Later, the men returned for Coulstring and put him on the street back in town near LoLa 41. On June 25 police stopped Campbell at the high school and took him to the station for questioning. Ramut was found at the Sparks Avenue residence and taken into custody without incident. Campbell told police that Ramut said he knew Coulstring and asked Campbell to pick him up the previous day. Campbell said he did not rob Coulstring and stated that he was not aware Ramut had hit or robbed him.

Ramut, who denied striking Coulstring, told police Coulstring was the one asking for cocaine and said Campbell handed him Coulstring's wallet which he returned to Coulstring. Ramut was arraigned last Friday in Barnstable District Court. He was brought back to Nantucket for Monday's district court session at which time he was given a July 8 pretrial conference date.

Two police officers aware of a recent assault and attempted robbery of a woman by a white male and a black male believe the description of those men given by the victim closely matches Ramut and Campbell's appearance. Both instances remain under investigation.

On June 15, three men were allegedly involved in another assault. Though police have had spurts of recurring violence in the past, the episodes are unsettling to officials and the public, alike.

"We have had periods of time like this before. We are investigating all the cases vigorously — any violent crimes," said Det. Lt. Jerry Adams. "We take them very seriously."

On June 15 at about 1:45 a.m., victims Akramjon Abdoollayev sustained two broken bones in his neck and a large laceration on the back of his head, and Dzmitry G. Tsishkevich sustained contusions on his head and scrapes on his arms after an altercation on Essex Road.

As a result of a police investigation of the incident, Brian Glowacki, 27, was charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot) and two counts of assault and battery. Co-defendant James Riley IV, 27, was charged with aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Codefendant Wilfredo Melendez, 26, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot) and assault and battery.

Incident reports filed in district court state that under questioning, Glowacki told police that he, Melendez and Riley had been in a fight with two men on Essex Road on June 15. Glowacki admitted that he kicked and punched Abdoollayev and that Melendez was fighting Tsishkevich. Glowacki said he heard Melendez scream for help and that when he went to assist him he then punched and kicked Tsishkevich.

Riley's report states that Glowacki told police that when he was going to help Melendez he heard Riley strike Abdoollayev and that later Riley told him he had hit the man in the face with bolt cutters. Melendez' account also corroborated that statement. Melendez told police that he kicked and punched Tsishkevich.

Glowacki appeared in Monday's Nantucket District Court and was given a July 22 date for further pretrial conference. Riley has a July 22 pre-trial conference date and Melendez has a July 22 date for pre-trial conference and appointment of counsel. I