Police look for suspect in midday break-in

Police are investigating a midday break-in yesterday in which a woman fought off an attacker in her home, according to Braintree police. The woman, whose name was not released, came home during her lunch break about 1 p.m., when a male suspect who had been waiting inside lunged at her and forced her into the bedroom, police said. She fought back, grabbed her pocketbook and cellphone, and locked herself in the bathroom, where she called the police. The woman was not seriously injured, and Braintree detectives are looking for witnesses.

A member of the Randolph School Committee accused of making insensitive remarks about the superintendent's Jewish faith has announced her resignation and apologized. Maureen Kenney said she met with a rabbi and decided she "can no longer be as effective on the School Committee." Rabbi Loel Weiss of Temple Beth Am says Kenney requested the meeting. He says he doesn't think Kenney is anti-Semitic, but that her comments were inappropriate. Superintendent Richard Silverman says Kenney's comments were made during contract negotiations on Oct. 23 after he asked for five days bereavement leave. He says Kenney asked why he would need the time, and said: "Besides, don't you Jews plant them within 24 hours?" (AP)

A 50-year-old Rhode Island man was charged in connection with a hit-and-run accident that killed a Seekonk woman. Laudalino Camara of Pawtucket was arrested at work at a local granite company and was to be arraigned late yesterday. He was charged with motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the Oct. 14 death of Maria Aguiar. She was struck and killed in Seekonk while walking behind her 10-year-old daughter, who was riding a bike. The girl was unhurt. Witnesses said a sport utility vehicle or pickup left the scene. On Oct. 23, Seekonk police seized an SUV for analysis, hoping to compare its exterior with paint chips at the crash scene. It was not immediately clear whether investigators connected the SUV to Camara. (AP)

A Rottweiler that attacked children at a Falmouth school will be euthanized. Laura Warren dropped an appeal for the life of her dog Sinbad, after a veterinarian determined the animal was vicious. But a Rottweiler puppy also owned by Warren could get a reprieve. Falmouth selectmen ordered the dogs euthanized after they twice escaped from Warren's yard in May and attacked children at the Teaticket Elementary School. In the first incident, the dogs jumped on a mother and her 4-year-old child, ripping the youngster's pants off. The dogs then got loose during recess and bit three third-graders and a teacher's aide. The veterinarian says the younger dog appears to behave like a normal puppy, and a Falmouth District Court judge is still considering its fate. (AP)

The city of Worcester has broken ground for a fire station on the site where six firefighters were killed in a 1999 blaze. The site of the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Company has been vacant since the fire. City officials and family members were present at the ceremony this week. They said the new station will be a memorial to the six men. James Lyons Jr., father of Lieutenant James Lyon III, said the station comes at a terrible cost, but he hopes it will make Worcester safer. The fire was started by a homeless couple. The firefighters were killed after entering the virtually windowless building to search for possible victims. (AP)

The city of Marlborough has reached a settlement with the state after an accidental release of 6,000 gallons of milk of magnesia into the Assabet River. The chemical, called magnesium hydroxide, can be used as a laxative. At the Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant in Marlborough, it is used to reduce the acidity of waste water so that it is safe to release into the river. In May, workers at the plant accidentally allowed milk of magnesia to overflow from a storage tank. The discharge elevated acidity levels several miles downstream and violated the Clean Water Act. The city has agreed to repair or replace an alarm on the storage tank and a spill containment system. It has also agreed to pay a $1,000 penalty and develop a plan to notify authorities in case of a future accident. (AP)