12-05-2022 11:22pm

Police Log: At Night, Suspicious Man Flees Lobby of High Street Building and Other Stories

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.

Monday, December 5th

Vehicle Collision Involving Two Westwood Residents Near Department of Recreation

8:19 a.m. Two vehicles were involved in a collision in the vicinity of the Westwood Department of Recreation pool. A 2007 Honda driven by a woman from Westwood was exiting the driveway near the pool lobby when it hit the right, rear quarter of a 2018 Lexus. The Lexus was also on the driveway and was operated by another woman from Westwood.

The collision caused the woman driving the Lexus to lose control. The Lexus ended up on a lawn area. The Honda was able to be driven from the scene, but the Lexus had to be towed. There were no injuries.

Yellow Canoe Reunited with Owner

9:22 a.m. Police responded to Buckmaster Pond where a staff member of Westwood’s Department of Public Works had found an abandoned, yellow, aluminum canoe. Police identified the owner of the canoe through its New Hampshire registration number. It was the property of a Lakeshore Drive resident. The resident quickly retrieved the canoe.

Sunday, December 4th

Stolen Credit Cards

12:39 p.m. A resident walked into the police station to report three credit cards had been stolen and fraudulently used. The resident last saw the cards on the prior day. All three cards had been used by someone to make purchases at Best Buy in Dedham. One card was additionally used at two Subway eateries. The total charges were over $5,000. This case is under investigation.

Saturday, December 3rd

Identify Theft: Unauthorized Opening of Verizon Wireless Account

12:21 p.m. A resident of Pond Street learned that a fraudulent Verizon Wireless account had been opened in his name around April 2022. He discovered the account’s existence when he received a past due notice for a balance due on an account which he had never set up. The resident did not pay the bill. No money was reported being lost.

Unwanted Ex

3:18 p.m. A woman residing on Lull Street reported suspicious activity to police when the ex-boyfriend of the woman’s adult daughter came to her house late in the evening. The ex-boyfriend wanted to contact her daughter who no longer lives there. The relationship had ended about eleven years ago. Police provided the resident with information about how a trespass notice could be delivered to the man. The man’s last known address was in Westborough. He has not yet been located.

Accident at East Street and Smith Drive

5:28 p.m. A two-car collision occurred at the intersection of East Street and Smith Drive. A 2016 Toyota, exiting Smith Drive and driven by a man from Westwood, failed to yield to a 2011 Toyota being driven south on East Street by a juvenile male from Norwood. The right, front quarter of the man’s vehicle struck the left front quarter of the teen’s vehicle. There were no injuries, but the teen’s vehicle required a tow. The man was cited for failure to yield at the intersection.

Friday, December 2nd

At Night, Suspicious Man Flees Lobby of High Street Building

9:35 a.m. Police took a report of suspicious behavior observed by two employees of a medical office building on High Street. They informed police that upon leaving the building around 9:00 p.m. the night before, they were startled to encounter a man inside the building’s lobby. He also appeared startled and ran away. He was described as a man in his 30s, wearing a black hoodie and grey sweatpants. This same person was reported as being seen around the building by custodians. Staff will be informed to contact police immediately when the man is sighted again.

Fraudster Foiled by Careful Consumer

3:15 p.m. An employee of a Southwest Park business reported suspicious activity on behalf of a woman residing in Westwood. The resident had corresponded with a man on Facebook who represented that he worked for the employee’s company, and he had prepared a quote to perform work for the resident. The resident discovered that the man did not, in fact, for the business that he claimed to represent. No financial transaction was made, and the resident did not report any money being lost.

Man Shoplifts for Beer with Lunch

5:56 p.m. Loss prevention personnel at Wegmans reported a shoplifting incident where a man was observed exiting the store without paying for beer, then drinking it inside a car in the store’s parking lot. As police were en route to respond, Wegmans staff informed police that the shoplifter’s vehicle was headed for a parking lot exit near Life Time Fitness.

Investigation showed that the man had taken merchandise worth $50.06 without paying. He had taken two six-packs of beer, a salad, and a sandwich.

Police identified the man as a Braintree resident through his black, Toyota Camry’s license plate. An attempt by police to contact the man was unsuccessful. A complaint has been filed for shoplifting. Because police also discovered that the man had a revoked vehicle registration and no car insurance, police will send him a criminal motor vehicle citation as well.

Wednesday, November 30th

Arrest for Violations of Restraining Order

7:18 a.m. On University Avenue, police arrested a man from Georgia for multiple violations of a restraining order that had been obtained by a Westwood resident. Upon his arrest, he was also charged with stalking. The man was taken to Dedham District Court around 11:20 a.m. on the same day for an arraignment.

Tuesday, November 29th

Police Seeking Two Shoplifters

8:34 p.m. Police responded to a report of shoplifting at Nordstrom Rack. Employees observed a male and female approaching the registers with items in their cart, then abruptly exiting the store without paying. A member of the store’s asset protection staff approached the man, who ignored him.

The man and woman entered a Ford F150 pickup truck and left the area. The two had taken four pairs of Ray Ban sunglasses, a thermos, Nike shoes, Giorgio Armani perfume set, shirts, a leather purse, jewelry, and additional sunglasses with a total value of around $1,000.

The man was wearing a white hat, white jacket and black pants. The woman was wearing a black sweatshirt, dark pants, and black hat. A video of the two will be disseminated to law enforcement in eastern Massachusetts for assistance in making an identification.

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