Teh One Who Knocks
08-20-2015, 11:41 AM
By Jack Flynn - Mass Live
SPRINGFIELD – A Springfield man has been sentenced to two years probation after admitting to vandalizing a female mannequin displayed in health classes at Springfield Technical Community College.
Waheed S. Al-monla, 23, was arrested after allegedly breaking into a campus building in May 2014, picking up a mannequin from a hallway display and carrying it into the men's room.
Campus police later found fabric from the mannequin's genitalia on the bathroom floor and a condom in the wastebasket, according to documents filed in Springfield District Court.
Al-monla pleaded innocent to breaking and entering and vandalism during his arraignment on June 5, 2014. Fourteen months later, he admitted to facts sufficient for a guilty finding on both charges during a hearing on Aug. 13 before Judge Michael Cripps.
At a prosecutor's request, Cripps sentenced the defendant to 24 months of pretrial probation, ordered him to pay $500 restitution and stay away from the STCC campus.
Al-monla was also required to continue receiving mental health treatment.
The events leading to Al-monla's arrest began when video surveillance captured him checking door handles to classrooms and offices in Building 20 just before midnight on May 23, 2014, according to court documents.
On the third floor, he found a hallway health exhibit with an anatomically-correct female mannequin dressed in a white hospital gown. He carried it into the men's room at 12:39 a.m. and emerged 30 minutes later, court documents state.
Later that morning, the defendant left the mannequin on an embankment, covered with branches, a sheet, and a poncho fashioned from a trash bag, according to court records.
He was wearing the same trash bag poncho when he broke into Building 20 several hours before, court records show.
Campus police interviewed the defendant at the Friends of the Homeless shelter, and spoke to several of his acquaintances, including an ex-girlfriend who raised questions about his mental health.
In a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, a doctor found the defendant suffered from a mood disorder and had a history of substance abuse, including an addiction to heroin.
Court-appointed defense lawyer Jon Helpa also repeatedly expressed concerns about his client's mental health.
A Worcester native, Al-monla grew up in Springfield and dropped out of high school in 10th grade due to mental health and substance abuse problems; he has worked in retail, construction and landscaping.
Under the judge's ruling, Al-monla must steer clear of legal trouble for the next 24 months, or risk a 30-month jail term.
The $500 restitution will cover STCC's cost for buying a new female mannequin.
SPRINGFIELD – A Springfield man has been sentenced to two years probation after admitting to vandalizing a female mannequin displayed in health classes at Springfield Technical Community College.
Waheed S. Al-monla, 23, was arrested after allegedly breaking into a campus building in May 2014, picking up a mannequin from a hallway display and carrying it into the men's room.
Campus police later found fabric from the mannequin's genitalia on the bathroom floor and a condom in the wastebasket, according to documents filed in Springfield District Court.
Al-monla pleaded innocent to breaking and entering and vandalism during his arraignment on June 5, 2014. Fourteen months later, he admitted to facts sufficient for a guilty finding on both charges during a hearing on Aug. 13 before Judge Michael Cripps.
At a prosecutor's request, Cripps sentenced the defendant to 24 months of pretrial probation, ordered him to pay $500 restitution and stay away from the STCC campus.
Al-monla was also required to continue receiving mental health treatment.
The events leading to Al-monla's arrest began when video surveillance captured him checking door handles to classrooms and offices in Building 20 just before midnight on May 23, 2014, according to court documents.
On the third floor, he found a hallway health exhibit with an anatomically-correct female mannequin dressed in a white hospital gown. He carried it into the men's room at 12:39 a.m. and emerged 30 minutes later, court documents state.
Later that morning, the defendant left the mannequin on an embankment, covered with branches, a sheet, and a poncho fashioned from a trash bag, according to court records.
He was wearing the same trash bag poncho when he broke into Building 20 several hours before, court records show.
Campus police interviewed the defendant at the Friends of the Homeless shelter, and spoke to several of his acquaintances, including an ex-girlfriend who raised questions about his mental health.
In a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, a doctor found the defendant suffered from a mood disorder and had a history of substance abuse, including an addiction to heroin.
Court-appointed defense lawyer Jon Helpa also repeatedly expressed concerns about his client's mental health.
A Worcester native, Al-monla grew up in Springfield and dropped out of high school in 10th grade due to mental health and substance abuse problems; he has worked in retail, construction and landscaping.
Under the judge's ruling, Al-monla must steer clear of legal trouble for the next 24 months, or risk a 30-month jail term.
The $500 restitution will cover STCC's cost for buying a new female mannequin.