A Waltham man who racked up 14 charges and is accused of knocking out power to 2,100 NStar customers on Halloween night is being held without bail pending a pre-trial hearing in two weeks.
On Oct. 31, police rescued David Cristofori, 39, of 206 Hammond St., from his 1995 Jeep Cherokee, which caught fire after it struck a utility pole.
Cristofori appeared in Waltham District Court yesterday in front of Judge Tobin Harvey, who ordered him held without bail. He is scheduled to return on Nov. 21 for a pre-trial hearing.
Records show Cristofori has a lengthy criminal history, including 30 appearances in court. According to court documents, offenses range from assault and battery to alcohol and drug charges. He has appeared in a number of courts, including Framingham District Court, Quincy District Court, Brighton District Court and Dorchester District Court.
There is also a five-page list of driving offenses, including charges as far back as 1986, when Christofori was ordered to enroll in a DWI alcohol program in Watertown, according to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Before the crash on Halloween night, police say Cristofori led them on a chase.
According to police reports, an officer saw Cristofori go through a stop sign and swerve into traffic. The officer put on his car's lights, and Cristofori pulled into a parking lot.
After the officer asked him three times to step out of his Jeep, Cristofori drove off, leading police on a chase.
At one point during the pursuit, police said, Cristofori turned his lights off while speeding down Robbins Street. The pursuit ended on Crescent Street, when the Jeep struck a utility pole and a tree.
According to police reports, Cristofori was unconscious as the vehicle caught fire. An officer was able to pry open a door and drag Cristofori from the burning vehicle, police said.
After the fire, officers said they found two Marlboro cigarette boxes, one with a small amount of marijuana, the other with a few pills of Klonopin, a prescription medication. Police said they also found cocaine in Cristofori's possession.
Cristofori was charged with driving with a license suspended for OUI, failing to stop for police, negligently driving a vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol (fifth offense), speeding, failing to keep right for an oncoming vehicle, driving under the influence of drugs, failing to stop or yield, making a marked lanes violation, leaving the scene of property damage (police discovered he struck cars on Robbins Street during the chase), possessing a Class D substance (marijuana subsequent offense), possessing a Class C substance and possessing a Class B substance.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com.
