By Brian Messenger
Staff writer
March 20, 2008 01:28 pm An Andover man remained wanted by police Wednesday morning, suspected of taking part in stealing copper from the Ballardvale train station. Andover police on March 6 arrested Kenneth Paquette, 32, of 157 Andover St., with two Tewksbury brothers, Erik Nickerson, 25, and Dana Nickerson, 26, both of 101 Mclaren Road, and Duran McNeill, 24, of 1009 Chandler St., Tewksbury. All four were charged with malicious injury to railroad property, trespassing and larceny over $250 in relation to the theft of $2,200 worth of copper from MBTA power lines. Signal poles at the Ballardvale commuter rail stop also were damaged and missing copper wiring. Signals on the poles stop oncoming traffic when a train passes on the tracks. "The poles were all messed up," said Andover police Lt. Harry Collins. "That's the first thing that gave us notice. People thought it was kids goofing around." The four men were later arrested near Marland Street and if convicted could face up to five years in prison for lareny, a year for malicious destruction of railroad property and 30 days for trespassing. While Erik and Dana Nickerson pleaded not guilty to the charges on March 7 in Lawrence District Court, McNeill and Paquette failed to appear. According to Collins, McNeill turned himself in to police on March 10. A warrant is pending for Paquette's arrest, he said. Similar copper thefts on railroad property have occurred recently in Haverhill, Collins said. "The transit police advised they've been getting hit along the lines," said Collins. "This is nothing new to them."
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