Suspects in boat crash and home invasions charged in provincial court on July 17
Two individuals appeared in provincial court in custody on July 17 to answer charges related to two separate incidents in Woodstock, one involving an armed intruder with a knife and the other the crash of a stolen boat on the Meduxnekeag River.
Mason Bustard, 18, of Woodstock, appeared in court in custody on July 17 and was released with conditions. He returns to court for a plea on Aug. 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Police charged Bustard with break and enter at a garage on Houlton Street, wearing a mask during the commission of an offence, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace (a knife), assault with a weapon, and criminal harassment.
Associate Chief Judge Brian C. McLean ordered him to have no weapons in his possession and to stay away from the female homeowner involved.
The Woodstock Police Force arrested Bustard after responding to a report of an armed intruder who entered a yard on Houlton Street on the morning of July 16 and approached a woman while holding a knife. The man partially covered his face with a mask or scarf.
He instructed the woman to go inside her house. She immediately complied and locked the door behind her. The man then went inside her garage before eventually leaving the area.
Douglas Thomas Defazio, 36, of Woodstock, appeared in court in custody on July 17 and was remanded to await a bail hearing on July 25 at 11 a.m.
Woodstock police arrested Defazio shortly after a stolen boat crashed on the rocks of the Meduxnekeag River on July 10, where the vessel was abandoned, and the suspect swam to shore.
He faces charges of break and entering a dwelling house, mischief causing property damage, and breach of probation in connection with a break-in at a residence on Houlton Street on July 10. More pending charges include possession of stolen property, theft and breach of recognizance.
Defence Counsel Lindsay Paul told the court Defazio intends to enter a rehab facility if he is released following his bail hearing next week.
