Published in the December 14, 2020 edition.
WAKEFIELD — Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time and doing what needs to be done.
Just ask Tessie, a bulldog who likely owes her life to a local businessman who snatched her from a burning car just in the nick of time Friday morning in Wakefield Square.
At about 9 a.m., Bob Sardella, owner of Sardella Sign & Graphics, closed up his North Avenue shop early and was heading out for a Friday round of golf. But first, he decided to make a quick stop at the Post Office. He parked on Yale Avenue, on the side opposite the Post Office. He was still sitting in his truck when a woman approached the Range Rover parked directly in front of him. When she opened the driver’s door, thick smoke came billowing out. She let out a yell and Sardella told her to step further away from the burning car.
That’s when she frantically told him that her dog, Tessie, was in the car. Sardella opened one of the car’s side doors but the smoke was so thick that he couldn’t see the dog. He then went to the back of the car and opened the hatch. That’s when he saw Tessie, cowering on the floor as flames and smoke were coming up around the edges. He grabbed Tessie by the collar and pulled her to safety. Seconds later, the entire hatch area burst into flames.
Meanwhile, someone who lives nearby had called the Fire Department and firefighters soon arrived to extinguish the fire. One of the firefighters told Sardella and the car owner that the battery, which was located in the rear of the car, had likely shorted out and caught fire.
Tessie and her owner had just come back from a walk in Breakheart. One her way home, Tessie’s owner stopped to pick up some stamps. Now, thanks to some quick action by someone who just happened to be at the right place at the right time, there will many more Breakheart walks in Tessie’s future.
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At about 1:30 p.m. on Friday, police took a call reporting an argument with construction workers on Water Street over face mask compliance.
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One man was reportedly taken to MelroseWakefield Hospital just after 2 p.m. on Friday after an argument with another man on Turnbull Avenue turned into a shoving match. Both men were advised of their rights by police.
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At about 11 p.m. on Friday, a resident reported the theft of several packages from the front porch of a home on Evergreen Street. The resident told police that she had security camera footage showing a woman wearing a black sweatshirt and black shorts taking the packages.
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At about 2:45 on Saturday afternoon, a Wyoma Street resident reported to police that someone had forged six of her checks totaling several thousand dollars. The woman told police that she believed that the checks had been stolen from her mailbox.
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At about 8:45 on Saturday night, a caller reported approximately six youths walking around with baseball bats smashing mailboxes on the West Side. The suspects reportedly took off toward Converse Street. Police were unable to locate the youths.
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The Fire Department responded to 27 calls over the weekend, including 16 for medical aid.
At about 1:40 on Saturday, firefighters went to a Gumwood Avenue home after some rags that a resident was sanitizing on a stove caught fire. The fire did not extend beyond the stove. Firefighters assisted the resident with venting the house of smoke.
