Pittsfield Man Facing Drug, Assault Charges

11:47AM / Wednesday, January 14, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man was taken into custody on Tuesday evening after allegedly threatening others in his North Street apartment.

Ixander Pereira, 22, was arrested after police say they discovered bags of material "consistent" with heroin on his person.

Pereira was charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon (firearm) and possession of a class A substance (heroin) and is expected to be arraigned in Pittsfield District Court today. No firearm was recovered.

Police responded a call about an "unwanted subject" in the 500 block of North Street at approximately 6:34 p.m.

The responding officers were told that someone had been threatened by a man with a firearm, and that there were multiple people, including the potential suspect, within a particular apartment.

Because of the information regarding the presence of a firearm and the number of people inside the residence, additional officers, including members of the anti-crime unit, also responded.

Officers were allowed into the apartment, and Pereira was taken into custody without incident.

Tags: assaults, drug charges,

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Berkshire Health System Blood Program Helps Shield County From National Shortage

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
04:38AM / Wednesday, August 05, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The American Red Cross declared its second national blood supply crisis in its history on Monday, but community members can breathe easy thanks to Berkshire Health System's blood donor program.

Berkshire Medical System has always had a stationary donor center for autologous donations, which is no longer common practice, and had some O-negative blood on hand that it purchased from the Red Cross prior to having its own blood donor program, said Christine Amuso, blood donor coordinator.

Today, Berkshire Health System's blood donor program collects about 2,300 to 2,400 units of blood annually, all of which stays within Berkshire County to help keep local blood supplies stocked.

In some years, the program has reached record collections of about 3,000 units.

"That [record has] only happened a couple of times since I've been employed with the program. So, we really have done wonders with the program," Amuso said.

Donating blood through Berkshire Health System's program is accessible, with a donor center at the main campus and a mobile blood unit that travels throughout Berkshire County, including select Saturdays.

While appointments for blood donations are strongly encouraged, staff also intentionally leave scheduling gaps to accommodate additional donors who walk in without an appointment.

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