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Image by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell.
2-28-2023 12:05am
Police Log: Three Incidents of Airbag Thefts from Honda Vehicles, Stolen Vehicle Recovered and More Stories
Darlene Cancell
Editor
The news described in Westwood Minute's weekly Police Log article series 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, February 26th
When a Friendship Turns Sour
1:11 p.m. Residents of a home on Lorraine Road complained of a disturbance in the street outside the home, caused by a former family friend. When police responded, the individual had already left. Police and residents discussed strategies to avoid future such encounters with the person.
Saturday, February 25th
Airbag Stolen from Honda SUV on French Street
12:29 p.m. A resident of French Street reported that the airbag module was taken from the steering wheel of the resident’s 2024 Honda SUV. The vehicle had been left unattended, parked at the home, between Thursday evening, February 23rd to Friday evening, February 24th. No damage was reported to the exterior of the vehicle.
Shoplifter Admits to Stealing
5:54 p.m. Several officers responded to a call of a shoplifting in progress at Wegmans. A man had left the store with $1,577 worth of unpaid merchandise, including sirloin, racks of lamb, chicken wings, ox tails, short ribs, ribeye steaks, ox tails, and lobster. When police arrived, they found the store’s loss prevention staff with a man fitting the description of the suspect. Police accompanied the staff and suspect into the store’s office, where the man admitted to shoplifting.
The store’s video surveillance also showed an individual, who appeared to be the same man, removing property from the store on February 17 without paying. The individual had taken steak, oxtail, crabs legs, lobster tails, racks of lamb, chicken wings, short ribs, ribeye steaks, lobster, and soft drinks. The total value of unpaid goods was $926. The man also admitted to shoplifting on that day.
Police charged the 28 year-old from Randolph with shoplifting for the February 17th incident and larceny over $1,200 for the February 25th incident. Loss prevention staff also gave him a trespass notice, indicating that any future visits to the store by him would be considered trespass.
Police were also able to identify a woman who accompanied the man on February 17th. She will be receiving a summons to Dedham District Court.
Friday, February 24th
Airbag Stolen from Resident’s 2018 Honda Accord
7:16 a.m. A Westwood resident reported that the resident’s 2018 Honda Accord had been broken into overnight. The car was parked in the home’s driveway when the airbag was removed from its steering wheel.
A cell phone charger was also taken from inside the car. There was damage to the lower portion of the dashboard, but no damage to the vehicle’s exterior.
Airbag Stolen from Honda Accord Parked at Chase Bank
5:00 p.m. An officer was dispatched to the rear parking lot of Chase Bank on High Street, to examine a motor vehicle break-in of a black Honda Accord. The back window had been smashed to gain access, and the airbag console had been removed. Nothing else appeared to have been taken. The vehicle was last seen intact previous day around 7:00 p.m. The break-in had been discovered just before the call to police.
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Police Work to Identify Repeat Shoplifter
8:30 p.m. An officer spoke to asset protection staff at Wegmans, who reported that on February 21st, a shoplifting had occurred, and it appeared to involve the same suspect from a prior, recent shoplifting on February 16th.
In the earlier incident on February 16th, the man was observed on surveillance video to have exited the store, bypassing the cash registers, with a cart full of items valued at $1,476 dollars, and entering a pickup truck.
In the latest instance on February 21st, a surveillance video showed a similar man exiting the store with unpaid items worth $844. These items included ribeye steaks, veal shanks, Bluetooth speaker earbuds, black tiger shrimp, langostino, bottles of Moët champagne and Tide detergent. Police are working on identifying the man.
Thursday, February 23rd
Not Vandalism, But a Snow Plow
2:04 p.m. A resident reported possible vandalism to the resident’s mailbox on Walker Road. Upon examination, police determined that the mailbox had been struck by a snow plow. The resident will be checking surveillance video and will be in touch with police.
Tuesday, February 21st
Stolen Vehicle Recovered in Brockton
12:19 p.m. An officer was at Prime Motor Group Mercedes Benz taking a report of a stolen car from the previous day when an employee approached to report that cash had also been stolen.
On Monday, February 20th, a sales associate had discovered that a white, 2022 Mercedes Benz sedan, which the business loans to customers who are having their cars repaired, was missing from the lot. It was valued at $54,000. It was last recorded as having been present on the dealership lot on January 31, 2022, and it is unknown when it was taken.
The same day that the vehicle was discovered to be stolen, Westwood Police received notice from Brockton Police that the car had been recovered, intact and unoccupied, in Brockton.
While speaking with the dealership's staff the next day, Westwood Police also learned from an employee that a cashbox in the business office had been broken into and $610 in cash had been taken.
Westwood Police and Brockton Police detectives are working together to investigate.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.
