Homeless Tenters Cleared from the Tracks

Concord Police officers arrested and summoned a number of people to court during the last week on criminal trespassing and other charges, in an effort to keep the railroad tracks near the Holiday Inn clear of illegal campers.

According to a number of reports, police began serving notices to the campers located in a section of land owned Tsunis Holding, Inc., the parent company of the Holiday Inn on North Main Street, referred to as “the tubes,” on May 3. The campers had to be off the land by May 5.

The tract of land runs from Storrs Street, along the railroad tracks, to the back of The Concord Center, at Ferry Street. The police have a letter signed by Richard Kelly of the company authorizing them to enforce no trespassing laws on the property, according to one of the reports.

Bike patrol and other officers checking the area handed out a number of citations to campers who ignored the letters during the past week.

Arrested at 10 a.m. on May 3, was Jeremy W. Miller, 41, on a bench warrant out of Littleton. He declined to see a bail commissioner and was transported to Concord District Court.

Keith Ralph Coomer, 59, Herbert N. Thibeault, 49, Allen Danny Leclair, 46, John Tonkin, and Brian Herra, 50, were all summoned at 12:45 p.m. on May 5, on a criminal trespass charges.

Officers reported that Thibeault was allegedly drinking a Natural Light Beer and appeared to be intoxicated. He was reportedly told to stay away from the tracks back on March 30, and was also charged with consumption of liquor on private property. Tonkin was allegedly drinking a Hurricane Beer. 

All are due in court on June 17.

During the early morning hours of May 6, officers again were patrolling the area and allegedly saw that Herra, Thibeault, John Bonin, and Craig Laber were all camping near the tracks. Bonin had not been warned but was at that time and reportedly left the area. Thibeault reportedly told the officer that he had just returned from Portland, Maine, and was disgusted by the state of the area and how it looked.

“I usually keep a neat camp,” he reported told the officer.

All were summoned on criminal trespass charges and are due in court on June 24.

Later in the day, Leclair received another summons for criminal trespass. While on bike patrol, officers were in the area around I-393 near the U-Haul when they reportedly saw four individuals in the area. An officer ran their names through dispatch and was told that Leclair was informed to move his tent out of the area by May 5. Leclair was arrested but released with a summons to be in court on June 17.

Then, during the early morning hours of May 7, Robert Wayne Glodgett, 50, and John J. Sheehan, 45, both received a summons at 5:41 a.m. on May 7, on a criminal trespass charge. Officers on bike patrol behind The Concord Center came upon several tents in the area. They spoke with both Glodgett and Sheehan, who were given warnings to stay out of the area on May 3.

Sheehan reportedly told officers he would have his things off the property by the end of the day. They are both due in court on June 17.