Football player remembered

August 27, 2007

EASTON

As many as 300 students, parents, and friends from Easton and Brockton marched yesterday to remember 15-year-old Aaron Ortiz, who drowned Thursday in Lake Cobbosseecontee at Camp Cobbossee in Monmouth, Maine. Ortiz was at the camp for preseason training with 96 other football players from Easton. The mourners assembled at the Ortiz home on Mechanic Street and marched to Oliver Ames High School, where he would have been a sophomore running back.

BOSTON

Police say a man was critically hurt yesterday when he jumped out the window of a four-story building as they investigated a possible burglary in Jamaica Plain. Officers went to a home on Glen Road about 1:27 a.m. after receiving a call about a break-in. Officers found the occupants of the apartment hiding on the fire escape. As police attempted to enter the apartment, they heard yelling inside and saw a man jump from the window. The man, whose name police withheld, was taken to a local hospital.

GARDNER

A 6-month-old girl was listed in critical condition at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester yesterday, a day after paramedics found her unresponsive in Gardner, police said. At 8:17 p.m. Saturday, paramedics responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive baby at a Wright Street home. She was taken to Heywood Hospital with what police described as "an undetermined ailment," and later was flown to the Worcester hospital. Gardner police referred questions to the Worcester district attorney's office, which could not be reached last night.

FREETOWN

A Freetown man was arrested yesterday after barricading himself in his home for more than five hours. Michael Oliveira, 36, held police at bay after officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance about 3:30 a.m., and found the victim at the home of a neighbor, Freetown police said. Oliveira refused to answer police at the door of his home. During the standoff, police spoke to Oliveira over a cellphone. Oliveira gave himself up about 9:30 a.m. after his parents came to the scene, police said. Among weapons confiscated from the house were an assault rifle, a sniper rifle, and a shotgun. Oliveira was charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of high-capacity weapons, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

FALL RIVER

A driver was killed and his three passengers were injured in a single-car crash early yesterday on Interstate 195 west, State Police said. Nathaniel Abrantes, 26, of Westport, lost control of his 2001 Toyota Avalon while speeding about 2:30 a.m., police said. Abrantes was not wearing his seat belt and died at the scene. Passenger Steven P. Abrantes Jr., 30, of Fall River, was treated for serious injuries and released from Rhode Island Hospital. Robert Manchester, 24, and Anthony Mcardle, 21, both of Fall River, were slightly injured.

QUINCY

More than 30 veterans of the World War II cruiser USS Guam met at the Quincy Marriott last night for an annual gathering of the ship's crew. The USS Guam Association shared a dinner at the hotel and presented a photograph of the vessel to Dan Flatley, son of the hotel's owner, Tom Flatley, who sponsored the event. Of more than 2,400 crew members, about 140 are still living, said Vince Miccio, the association's treasurer.