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8-02-2023 12:18am
Police Log: Shoplifter Flees and Injures Officer, Scammer Impersonates Pastor, Bear Cubs in Westwood
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.
Monday, July 31st
Suspect in Custody Reports Being Threatened During Booking
4:04 a.m. While in police custody for an incident arising from the previous night, a 19 year-old male received abusive threats and harassment via text message. An officer documented the threats while the suspect was being booked.
Scammer Impersonates Pastor
9:15 a.m. A Westwood resident and congregant of First Parish of Westwood complained that a scammer had emailed her, alleging to be the pastor of the church. The impersonator asked for help with the urgent task of obtaining gift cards to help other people.
The impersonator had created an email address similar to the pastor’s real email address. A photo of the pastor was attached to the fake email account. The impersonator requested that the resident buy five $100 Amazon gift cards, and also provided instructions that images of the card codes should be emailed to the impersonator.
The resident became suspicious and contacted the First Parish of Westwood pastor on his phone to check if the gift card request came from him. The pastor confirmed that the incident was a scam. The church sent an alert to its congregants to warn them of potential further incidents.
Sunday, July 30th
Valuable Trash
7:15 a.m. A police officer responded to Ira Acura on Route 1, on the report of a man taking tires from a disposal area and placing them into a white van.
The driver of the van was located at the nearby McDonald's restaurant. He was identified as a man from Providence, Rhode Island, and admitted to taking the tires.
Police informed the man that he should ask permission in the future to remove the tires. Although the tires were being disposed of, they were not abandoned property. The business did not wish for them to be taken. The man returned the tires.
Shoplifting Suspect Injures Officer While Fleeing in Vehicle
12:51 p.m. Police were called to Wegmans where two women were observed concealing merchandise in their shopping cart. While police were en route, the women fled in separate vehicles.
Police located both vehicles. One contained a 24 year-old woman from Wayland. She admitted that she and a 23 year-old woman from Dorchester stole items from the store. She said the items were in the other vehicle. She will be summoned to court , but was allowed to proceed on her way.
The 23 year-old from Dorchester fled from the officer who attempted to stop her vehicle. In the process, her vehicle struck the officer, causing a very minor injury. A warrant has been issued for her arrest. Police are charging her with shoplifting, failure to stop for a police officer, assault and battery on a police officer, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Lawnmower Stolen from Garage
4:09 p.m. A man from Brockton explained that his job is to clear out estates, and he was planning to sell a Husqvarna riding lawnmower from a residence on East Street. He had locked it in the garage in late afternoon on Friday, July 28. When he arrived at the property two days later on Sunday, it was missing, along with a snowblower attachment. The equipment is estimated to be worth $4,500.
Drunk Driving
8:12 p.m. A 2016 Honda driven by a man from Westwood was traveling on Washington Street when it crossed over the fog line, and struck an unoccupied 2020 Subaru, owned by a Dover resident, that was parked on the street.
The Honda had major front-end damage, and the impact caused the air bags to deploy. The Subaru received major rear-end damage. No injuries were reported.
Police cited the Westwood man for driving under the influence of alcohol and a marked lanes violation.
Arrest for Assault with a Deadly Weapon
10:24 p.m. A 19 year-old from Mansfield was arrested for assault and battery with a deadly weapon when he allegedly injured another person with a knife at a High Street residence in Westwood. Both persons were transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham. For more on this story, click here.
Friday, July 28th
Inebriated Man Transported to Hospital
9:28 p.m. Police were called to Del Frisco’s Grille to check on a man who was asleep at the bar. The man was from New Jersey and temporarily staying at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott in Westwood. Because it appeared that the man required medical attention, police placed him under protective custody. Westwood Fire paramedics transported him to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham.
Shoplifting Suspects Flee after Confrontation
10:23 p.m. While police were en route to a shoplifting in progress at Wegmans, and after being confronted by store staff who recovered the stolen items, two suspects fled in a grey Honda Accord. The suspects were located just over the Westwood town line in Dedham.
Stolen items that were recovered included eye drops worth $30 per bottle, a $13 croissant, juice, fruit, a bouquet of roses, over-the-counter drugs, and lip balm. The total value of items taken over $200.
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Thursday, July 27th
Driver Injured in Crash at Intersection of High Rock and Hartford Streets
4:05 p.m. A 2022 BMW driven by a woman from Westwood struck the side of a 2022 Hyundai driven by another woman from Westwood. The Hyundai was crossing through the intersection when struck. The driver of the Hyundai was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham.
Concealing Alcohol
8:26 p.m. A loss prevention associate at Wegmans told police that on July 12th, a female was observed concealing three bottles of wine in a shopping bag, while paying for other food and drink in the store. She then left without paying for the concealed wine, worth over $100.
Store staff believe that on July 25th, the same woman concealed five bottles of wine valued at over $200. In that case, she is also believed to have left without paying for the wine.
Through photos posted to her Facebook account, store staff identified her as a 46 year-old from Auburndale. She did not answer a phone call from police.
A summons will be issued for two counts of shoplifting.
Wednesday, July 26th
More Drunk Driving
12:49 a.m. An officer who was conducting a property check observed a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the parking lot of Lamberts Plaza. Its operator was asleep in the front seat. He was holding a phone in his hand, and the vehicle’s motor was running.
After a field sobriety test, police arrested the 35 year-old man from Framingham for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
Another Scammer Requesting Gift Cards
11:58 a.m. A resident of Cedar Lane received an email from someone posing as the resident’s employer. After the resident confirmed a phone number, the impersonator sent text messages to the resident, asking for help with buying gift cards for employees.
The resident purchased two eBay gift cards of $200 each. The impersonator asked for the resident to send photos of the cards’ activation codes and card numbers. The resident became suspicious and ceased contact.
The resident called the employer, who confirmed that the email and texts were from a scammer. The resident alerted the company’s other employees to the scam.
Monday, July 24th
Suspected Repeat Shoplifter Flees in Distinctive Car
2:19 p.m. While police were en route to a shoplifting in progress at Nordstrom Rack, the female suspect fled in a vehicle. It was a black, Ford Escape with oversized tires and metallic rims, with a white sticker on a front window, and a blue sticker near the rear brake light.
The same woman is suspected of previous shoplifting incidents. She is described as Hispanic, in her 40s, about 5’7” and 150 pounds, wearing large hoop earrings. Her passenger is described as a black woman in her mid-20s, about 5’6” and 120 pounds, in a multi-color dress.
The suspect was observed exiting the store with unpaid items valued at about $250. This case is being investigated.
Bear Cubs Spotted in Westwood
2:48 p.m. A landscaper reported seeing three bear cubs. They were in the woods behind a home that he was working at, located on Cedar Hill Drive.
Forgetting to Pay for the Wine
3:41 p.m. At Wegmans, an officer met with asset protection staff regarding a shoplifting that occurred the day before. Staff had tracked missing bottles of wine to a particular customer. He was observed on video purchasing some items but failing to pay for six bottles of wine worth a total of about $141.
Police contacted the customer, a 52 year-old man from Acton. He expressed surprise, was very apologetic, and stated that he would return to the store to pay for the wine. When he returned, he was issued a trespass notice for a period of two years.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and Westwood Police for contributing information for this article.
