Police initially believed suspect was ‘violent’ military deserter

By George P. Hassett

An identification mix-up had Somerville police chasing what they thought was a violent military deserter Sunday afternoon.

When officers caught up to Brandon Wood, a 29-year-old homeless man, they found a knife and a syringe loaded with “freshly cooked heroin,” police said. He was with Brandon Shelzi, 20, of 10 Townsend Rd., Belmont, who was found with syrine caps in his pockets.

Officers found a black bag filled with needles, two cooking spoons, a loaded hypo-syringe, three knives, and a white plastic bottle containing clear capsules and two unknown white tablets, police said.

Both men were arrested and charged with possession of a class A drug and possession of the knife.

Officers initially thought Wood was wanted for military desertion because his name and birth date matched another man who police learned had a different social security number and middle initial than the wanted man. Police first saw Wood and Shelzi in the parking lot at the corner of Tufts Street at Glen Street.

Police initially received information that Wood is an “escape risk” with “violent tendencies.”

“Based on my training and experience of nearly 20 years, the chances of a suspect having the same first and last name and same DOB are unbelievably odd,” Officer Richard Lavey wrote in his incident report. “I have never seen this type of match. The physical description provided on the warrant (attached) is oddly similar.”

Wood and Shelzi fled toward Cross Street. Police found them parked in a driveway at 52 Alston St.