4.Saria Shelgren — Direct
115 linesMS. SPRAGUE: Your Honor, the Commonwealth would call Saria Sweeney. Saria Sweeney. Yeah, sure.
BAILIFF: Good morning, ma'am. Can you just stop right here and raise your right hand for the clerk, please?
COURT CLERK: Please raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony and the evidence you shall give to the court and the jury in the matter now pending between the Commonwealth and the defendant at the bar, shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
COURT CLERK: Thank you.
THE COURT: Good morning.
SARIA SHELGREN: Good morning.
THE COURT: Well, I'm just gonna ask you to keep your voice up and—
SARIA SHELGREN: Sure.
THE COURT: … speak in that microphone. Thank you.
SARIA SHELGREN: Absolutely.
THE COURT: Ms. Sprague.
MS. SPRAGUE: Thank you. Good morning. Could you please state and spell your name for the record?
SARIA SHELGREN: My name is Saria, S-A-R-I-A. My last name is Sweeney or Shelgren, depending on what year we're in.
MS. SPRAGUE: So in 2023, was your last-
SARIA SHELGREN: It was Sweeney, S-W-E-E-N-E-Y.
MS. SPRAGUE: And now what is your last name?
SARIA SHELGREN: Shelgren, S-H-E-L-G-R-E-N.
MS. SPRAGUE: And what is your date of birth?
SARIA SHELGREN: 9/3/89.
MS. SPRAGUE: And where do you work?
SARIA SHELGREN: Currently have two jobs. I work at a doctor's office, and I also work at 3V. It's a restaurant in Plymouth.
MS. SPRAGUE: And how is 3V spelled?
SARIA SHELGREN: It's the... Spelled out the number three, T-H-R-E-E, with a V at the end.
MS. SPRAGUE: And how long have you worked at 3V Restaurant?
SARIA SHELGREN: Since 2019.
MS. SPRAGUE: And where is it located?
SARIA SHELGREN: In Cordage Park in Plymouth.
MS. SPRAGUE: And in 2023, in January of 2023, what was your role at 3V Restaurant?
SARIA SHELGREN: I was a hostess then.
MS. SPRAGUE: And directing your attention further to Tuesday, January 24th, 2023, were you working that night?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes, I was.
MS. SPRAGUE: And what shift were you working?
SARIA SHELGREN: I work an evening shift. Usually, I would arrive between 4:45 and 5:00.
MS. SPRAGUE: And when would your shift end?
SARIA SHELGREN: Typically between 8 and 9:00.
MS. SPRAGUE: And what was your role as a hostess?
SARIA SHELGREN: Greet patrons, take takeout orders, give takeout orders, seat people, generally help with the running of the restaurant front end.
MS. SPRAGUE: And directing your attention to 5:10 PM, did you receive a call for a takeout order?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And was that a male or a female?
SARIA SHELGREN: It was a female.
MS. SPRAGUE: And did that person place an order?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And do you recall what she ordered?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: What was that?
SARIA SHELGREN: It was a order of risotto and a Mediterranean power bowl.
MS. SPRAGUE: And the power bowl, is that considered a type of salad at 3V?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: Did you ask any follow-up questions about the order of the salad?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: What did you ask?
SARIA SHELGREN: We ask, if it doesn't automatically come with protein, it's something that we always ask, "Do you wanna add a protein?"
MS. SPRAGUE: Does the Mediterranean power bowl automatically come with protein?
SARIA SHELGREN: No, it does not.
MS. SPRAGUE: So did you ask the woman if she wanted protein?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And what was her response?
SARIA SHELGREN: "No, thank you."
MS. SPRAGUE: And did she also give you the name and phone number of the person who would be picking up the order?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And is that something that you enter into the system as you're entering the order?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: Did you have any trouble understanding the woman?
MS. SPRAGUE: Did she appear to have any trouble understanding you or the questions you were asking her?
MS. SPRAGUE: Did her voice sound slurred or impaired in any way?
MS. SPRAGUE: Was there anything out of the ordinary about this interaction?
MS. SPRAGUE: Directing your attention to 5:54 PM, was the order picked up?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And was it picked up by a male or a female?
SARIA SHELGREN: A male.
MS. SPRAGUE: If we could pull up Exhibit 30 footage.
MS. SPRAGUE: And are you depicted in the video here?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And where are you?
SARIA SHELGREN: I'm standing behind the host stand.
MS. SPRAGUE: And so for the record, the hostess stand or the host stand is in the upper left-hand corner of the video?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yeah. It's that black stand that has a wooden frame around the top.
MS. SPRAGUE: So am I pointing to the right area?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: In the right, in the upper left corner?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: If you could play that for a moment.
MS. SPRAGUE: And if you could pause it, please. So at 5:54:19 PM, you see the individual who picked up the order?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And which individual is that?
SARIA SHELGREN: The man in the dark jacket that entered last.
MS. SPRAGUE: And is he the person behind the couple at the host stand?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And showing you what's been marked as Exhibit thirty-one.
MS. SPRAGUE: Do you recognize this?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And what do you recognize it to be?
SARIA SHELGREN: That is one of our printouts that comes with orders. We attach those to the bags for takeout and have a copy for ourselves as well.
MS. SPRAGUE: And displaying it... Okay.
MS. SPRAGUE: Here in the line where it says Patrick and then a phone number, is that where you would enter in what the person calling gives you for the information of the person picking up the order?
SARIA SHELGREN: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: Was there anything out of the ordinary about your interaction with that gentleman?
MS. SPRAGUE: I have no further questions.
THE COURT: Attorney Reddington.
MR. REDDINGTON: I have no questions. Thank you, ma'am.
THE COURT: All right. Thank you, ma'am. You may step down. Thank you.
THE COURT: All right. Counsel, could I see you at this time? Thanks.
THE COURT: All right. Well, members of the jury, remember I said today was gonna be full of couple of starts and stops. This is gonna be one of those stops. All right? So what we're gonna do, I'm gonna excuse you till 2:00. All right? Then we're gonna come back, and we're gonna resume, I believe with the Commonwealth's case. So we're gonna be in recess on this matter till 2:00. All right?
BAILIFF: Court, all rise. Jurors, will you please place your notebooks on your chairs, please.
BAILIFF: You may be seated.
BAILIFF: Jurors have exited the courtroom. This court's in session. You may be seated.
THE COURT: All right. We're gonna be in recess on this matter till 2:00. I wanna remind everyone of the media order regarding not videotaping or broadcasting from the courtroom or inside the courthouse. So I just kinda wanted to reiterate that. All right? So with that, we'll be in recess till 2:00. Thank you.
BAILIFF: Court, all rise.