Springfield Man Charged After Trespassing at Former Yankee Candle Founder's Estate

Joshua M. Rucks-Smith, a 21-year-old Springfield man, is facing four criminal charges after allegedly trespassing for the third time on a 60-acre Leverett estate once owned by Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge II. Rucks-Smith pleaded not guilty in Orange District Court on Monday to charges including assault and battery on a police officer, trespassing, resisting arrest, and vandalizing property, as reported by the Recorder.

A violent confrontation at Juggler Meadow Road

The chaos began at 12:26 p.m. when the facility manager of the Juggler Meadow Road property alerted Leverett Police Officer Andrew Nepal that a man wearing a face mask was on the grounds. According to the police report, Nepal encountered Rucks-Smith, who claimed he lived on the property. When Nepal informed him he was trespassing and ordered him to comply, Rucks-Smith reportedly began walking away.

Nepal followed Rucks-Smith in his cruiser for several minutes as the suspect moved on and off the private roadway. The situation escalated when Nepal exited his vehicle and ordered Rucks-Smith to stop. The officer reported that when he was approximately 20 feet away, Rucks-Smith turned around with a clenched fist and advanced toward him.

Nepal deployed his stun gun twice, but the reports indicate it failed to incapacitate Rucks-Smith. The suspect then allegedly struck the officer with both fists. During the physical struggle on the ground, Nepal deployed pepper spray; however, the officer’s own eyes made contact with the spray, causing temporary vision and respiratory issues. Rucks-Smith managed to break away and continue walking before being arrested upon the arrival of Amherst Police Officer Edward Bennington.

The delusion of ownership

The former Kittredge compound is not a standard residential lot; it is a sprawling estate featuring a 55,000-square-foot spa building, an indoor water park with waterfalls and slides, a three-lane bowling alley, and an indoor tennis court.

Leverett Police Sgt. Benjamin Peters noted in his report that while being transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Rucks-Smith repeatedly referred to the compound as his own property. He also admitted, without prompting, that he had “come at” Officer Nepal. When Peters reminded him that this was his third time trespassing on land that did not belong to him, Rucks-Smith allegedly laughed and chuckled, stating he would keep going back.

The physical evidence of the breach was clear: Officer Nepal obtained photographs showing that Rucks-Smith had entered the estate by prying open the south gate.

From a $23 million dream to a $4.55 million reality

Built by the late Michael J. Kittredge II, who died in 2019, the estate was listed for sale in 2022 for $23 million. It sold on May 26 for $4.55 million to Juggler Meadow LLC.

Springfield Man Charged After Trespassing at Former Yankee Candle Founder's Estate — Photo: wwlp.com

The new owner, David Reasoner—a PGA head professional from Saddle River, New Jersey—intends to keep the site as a private residence. This decision effectively killed previous proposals to develop the land into a community of more than 400 homes, preserving the estate’s isolation.

The legal fallout for Rucks-Smith extends beyond the Leverett incident. While he is currently held at the Franklin County Jail and House of Correction on $100 bail, he also faces an outstanding warrant out of Springfield for resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer.

Rucks-Smith is scheduled to return to Orange District Court on Nov. 24 for a pretrial conference.