9-21-2022 12:31am

Police Log: Runaway Attempt Interrupted, Resident Loses Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to Scammer

Darlene Cancell Editor

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay.

The news described in Westwood Minute's Police Log article is primarily based on selected information from the Westwood Police Department's daily log and information provided by Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and police staff. Occasionally, a few facts from other sources may be woven into these stories.

Sunday, September 18

Distressed Man Abandons Vehicle on I-95

6:18 p.m. State police requested help from Westwood Police in checking the area of High Street at the Interstate 95 interchange. They were looking for a man with green shirt and tan shorts who was alleged to be intoxicated and/or suicidal. He was reported to have abandoned a vehicle on the interstate, with a family member in it. He was last seen walking up the ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 109.

Westwood Police responded to the area and discovered the subject with state troopers, who had located him on the ramp. The man was uncooperative. Westwood Police assisted in placing the man into custody of state police, to help prevent him from causing self-harm. He was transported to a hospital.

Saturday, September 17

Rage over Rejection Results in Vandalism

10:13 a.m. Police responded to Budget Inn on Providence Highway. The desk clerk explained that a man who sought to rent a room with two pets had thrown an ash tray, breaking a window as a result. The man was angry for being turned away under the motel's no pet policy.

The man reportedly left in a vehicle, possibly a BMW, with a female passenger. He was described as being tall and skinny and wearing a hooded sweatshirt, green camouflaged jogging pants, and dark sneakers with red or pink on the sole. Police are investigating.

Friday, September 16

Trespassed from Mercedes-Benz

11:30 a.m. Police received a report from the Mercedes-Benz of Westwood dealership on Providence Highway that a man in a blue shirt was acting strangely and yelling at people. Police located the man, with the help of employees who pointed at the man as he walked out of the dealership.

Police learned that the man had entered the dealership and claimed to be an employee who was doing a spot check on the business operations. He became confrontational and declared that everyone would be fired. After being asked to leave, the man explained that he wanted to buy a car for his mother.

Staff declined the sale, and requested that police escort the man off the property. He was given a trespass notice and police informed him that he would be subject to arrest if he ever returned.

Domestic Arrest

An arrest was made regarding a domestic incident.

Thursday, September 15

Object Strikes Passing Vehicle

9:43 a.m. An officer took a report from a driver who complained that the driver's 2009 Toyota Rav 4 was struck by an object thrown onto Carby Street. The driver believed that mowing activity from a Department of Public Works crew is what caused the object to be thrown at the passing vehicle. The police report will be used for insurance purposes.

Case of Mistaken Identity?

3:48 p.m. A resident of High Street reported that a man approached her in the parking lot of an Islington business, and accused her of striking his car in traffic. The woman explained that she had not been involved in any such accident. After a few moments, the man quickly pulled out of the parking lot and left.

The Westwood resident noted that there was a strong communication barrier. Police have received no subsequent, related reports of any such hit-and-run incident or crash.

Altercation on Amtrak

10:02 p.m. Three officers responded to the Amtrak station on University Avenue after receiving a report that a train conductor had been assaulted on an inbound train. The report noted that the assailant would be leaving in an Uber from the front of the train station.

Police located the individual at the train station before she left in the Uber. The woman from Providence, Rhode Island had entered the train with a bike at Back Bay station, against train rules. Upon being informed by the conductor that bikes are not allowed on the train, the woman allegedly became verbally aggressive, but no physical contact was made.

The conductor put the woman off the train at the Route 128 station. Westwood Police collected her identification, and Amtrak Police arrived to take over the investigation.

Tuesday, September 13

Woman Loses Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to Scammers

1:09 p.m. A resident of Forbes Road reported being victim of a scam. She told police that someone who alleged to be a T-Mobile employee called her, and told her that her personal identification had been used at an airport in China to make T-Mobile calls related to a crime.

Shortly after this phone call, the resident was contacted over Skype by a person named "Jei Xu," who alleged himself to be a police officer from Haikou, China. The man told her that because her personal information was used in a crime, the Westwood resident would need to send bail payment to Hong Kong. If she didn't, a government official would arrest her and detain her. The man said that the bail payment would be returned to her after questioning.

The woman made three wire transfers to Hong Kong, totaling a sum in the low to mid-hundred thousand dollars. After making the payment, the victim contacted police in Haikou, China, who told her that there was no officer named Jei Xu on its staff. The victim gave copies of the wire transfers to Westwood Police for their records.

Restraining Order Served

Police served a restraining order to a residence on Forbes Road.

Monday, September 12

Some Funny Business Going On

12:00 p.m. Two co-owners of a Westwood based business on Washington Street reported unusual activity related to the online presence for their business. Poor reviews have been posted, and they suspected possible manipulation to internet links to the business. The co-owners wanted to create a record of the activity and they plan to hire an attorney to help them further.

Runaway Interrupted

8:37 p.m. Police were dispatched to the far west end of High Street in response to several reports of suspicious activity. Two residents reported that a young man with a backpack was knocking on doors, asking for directions to Boston. He was last seen walking on foot, east along High Street.

Two officers located a teenager in the area. He told police that he had taken an Uber to Walpole with a friend, and now he was walking home to Boston alone while his friend remained in Walpole. However, he was unable to provide to police the full name of his mother whom he said he lived with, and he said he did not have his mother’s phone number to give to police.

After lengthy investigation, police determined that the young man was a 15 year-old Medfield resident. Police contacted his mother and notified Medfield Police. Westwood Police transported the teen back to his mother’s house in Medfield, where Medfield Police officers were also present. Together, the officers counseled the mother and son, and assistance from the Town of Medfield was offered.

Friday, September 9

Annual Inventory Discovers Jewelry Worth Thousands is Missing

10:34 a.m. A resident of Longwood Drive reported that after conducting an annual inventory, the resident discovered a dozen or more pieces of jewelry missing. The jewelry was estimated to be worth $9,400. Police are investigating and following up with the security department for Fox Hill Village.

One Thing Leads to Another

7:48 p.m. An officer observed a 2011 red Ford Focus traveling west on Washington Street without headlights or taillights. The officer made a traffic stop and learned that the vehicle’s car registration had expired in January of this year. The owner of the car also had a suspended license.

Upon determining that the driver was the owner, the officer made an arrest for driving on a suspended license. The man, a 28 year-old resident of Washington Street in Westwood, was transported to the police station and released on personal recognizance. He was issued a citation of operating a motor vehicle after suspension of license, operating an unregistered vehicle, and operating a vehicle without lights.

11:38 p.m. An officer was conducting stationary traffic enforcement on Interstate 95 when the officer observed a Hyundai Santa Fe pass by at an excessive speed. Radar recorded a speed of 74 m.p.h. in a 50 m.p.h. zone. The officer made the traffic stop.

Upon investigating, the officer learned that the driver did not have a license in his possession. It had expired in early August 2022. The driver, a 28 year-old man from Brockton, claimed to be unaware of its expiration. The officer issued him a citation for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and speeding. A friend and licensed driver arrived to drive the car away.

Thursday, September 8

Jewelry and Coin Collection Stolen

12:55 p.m. A resident of Highland Glen Road reported that a jewelry case and a coin collection had been stolen from her apartment. A detective is investigating.

Ammunition Disposal

2:51 p.m. A bag of mixed ammunition was turned over to the police for disposal. It was found in the course of a Westwood resident’s moving activity from a home in Westwood.

Wednesday, September 7

Police made an arrest in the case of a domestic disturbance.

Tuesday, September 6

Child Reported Missing when Not on School Bus

3:25 p.m. A resident reported to police that their child was not on the school bus at the end of the school day. The missing child report was issued over the radio. A Downey School crossing guard heard the report and responded that the child was in front of the Downey School building with a teacher, safe and sound. The child and parent were reunited shortly after.

Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.

Updated 9/21/22 at 9:35 a.m. and 7:49 a.m. Typographical errors have been corrected and formatting to protect privacy has been added. Westwood Minute typically does not publish specific identifying information about individuals featured in the police log series, unless there is a compelling reason to do so, such as public safety.