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10-11-2023 12:18am
Police Log: Vehicle Strikes Hydrant, Child Unattended While Mother Shops, Mailbox Fishing
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, October 9th
Car Vandalized During Football Game
10:26 a.m. A Westwood resident reported vandalism to his 2013 BMW, which was parked at Xaverian Brothers High School in a small lot behind the baseball field, adjacent to the football field, during the football game between Xaverian and Catholic Memorial High School on Friday, October 6th. The resident did not notice the damage to his vehicle until Saturday morning, given dim lighting conditions at the end of the game.
An officer examining the vehicle observed a significant scratch running from the front, passenger-side door to the rear, passenger-side door. There was a scratch at the rear quarter panel of the vehicle that ran to a damaged brake light.
Paint Splatter Damages Vehicle
1:15 p.m. A Medfield resident complained of paint damage to his 2015 Nissan Rogue, while driving through Westwood earlier in the day. He had driven to Westwood for an appointment. Sometime after his appointment, he noticed paint splattered on his vehicle, running along the area of the front tire to the area of the rear tire and undercarriage.
Police noted that the Town of Westwood was not conducting any line painting of streets. However, police were aware of one report of spilled paint in the roadway near the intersection of High Street and Lakeshore Drive. It was awaiting clean-up from the Department of Public Works.
Police investigated the area of that intersection and found spilled paint and two cans of Benjamin Moore paint. There is no indication of how the paint ended up in the road. At the time of the Medfield man’s report, police were aware of no other reports of paint damage to vehicles.
Loose Dog Reunited with Owner
4:15 p.m. Police received a call regarding a dog on the loose in the area of Pond and Oak streets. The dog, described as a white and grey boxer with a red tag, was found and picked up by an officer. The officer contacted the owner, who was out looking for the dog. The officer transported the dog home.
Saturday, October 7th
Impersonating a Police Officer to Solicit Bail Payment
12:47 p.m. Police responded to a home on East Street where the resident reported that a person had called, claiming to be a Newton Police official named David Bell. The caller informed the resident that her son was arrested, and that a courier was being sent to her home to collect bail.
Police advised the resident that no law enforcement agency would use such bail couriers. Police remained in the area and asked the resident to call immediately if anyone did, in fact, show up at the home to collect bail. No such person arrived.
Friday, October 6th
Landlord Discovers Fraudulent Rental Listing
12:21 p.m. A resident of Margery Lane reported finding a Craigslist rental depicting her own Westwood rental property, but posted by another person. The resident decided to deal with the situation through Craigslist management.
Jewelry Stolen from Residence's Safe
4:32 p.m. Residents of a home on Chamberlain Avenue reported that items had been stolen from two safes kept in an indoor closest. There were no signs of forced entry, but six pieces of jewelry were missing: a diamond engagement ring, an antique gold necklace with ruby medallion, two gold band rings, an antique engagement ring, and a pin/brooch. The value of the missing items was approximately $4,300. The residents reported that there had been workmen in the home, left unattended, during the prior few weeks.
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Vehicle Strikes Hydrant, Causing Water Main Breaks
2:04 p.m. Police officers responded to the scene of an accident on Gay Street, where a 2008 Chevy pickup, driven by a man from Middletown, had crashed into a yellow fire hydrant. The collision caused the hydrant to break off from its attached water main, and caused water to flow from the broken hydrant and main into the road. Police notified the Dedham-Westwood Water District of the incident, and spoke with the driver, who was located a short distance up the road.
The driver informed an officer that while travelling north on Gay Street, he reached for his cell phone on the passenger seat, looked away, and inadvertently swerved over the fog line to the curb. His vehicle then struck the fire hydrant with its right front bumper. The hydrant was knocked loose from the water main, breaking the main.
Police cited the driver with a marked lanes violation and for using an electronic device while operating a motor vehicle. No injury was reported, but the Chevy pickup was heavily damaged in the front passenger area.
The accident caused a pressure surge in the water system, resulting in a second water main break at Perwal Street in Westwood, according to an alert that Dedham-Westwood sent to customers around 5:30 p.m. that day.
Police closed Gay Street at Milk Street and Pine Lane, with traffic diverting to Washington and Clapboardtree streets. The incident caused some traffic effects on Everett Street, abutting roads, and in Norwood.
Around 12:30 p.m. the following day, Westwood Police announced that repairs had been made and normal traffic was resuming on Gay Street.
Arrest from Violation of Harassment Prevention Order
5:07 p.m. Police received a report that a harassment prevention order had been violated in Westwood. As a result of the reported violation, an adult female resident of Weymouth was placed under arrest.
Suspicious Activity on Strafford Road
10:06 p.m. A caller on Strafford Road contacted police upon hearing a noise outside and finding the doors on the caller’s Kia Sportage were open. An officer investigated and found no further sign of anything else amiss.
Wednesday, October 4th
Fraudulent Unemployment Claim
8:02 a.m. A resident of Locust Drive complained of identity theft when a fraudulent unemployment claim was filed in her name. The resident also received a package in the mail earlier in October regarding a home loan, which she believes was fraudulently initiated. On her credit report, the resident found an unrecognized phone number belonging to someone else, attached to a line of credit in her name. Police advised her to apply for a PIN with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to protect her tax returns.
Child Left Unattended While Mother Shops
5:04 p.m. Police were summoned to Deerfield School where they spoke with a man who was looking after two small children. He explained to police that one child was his own, and the other child appeared unattended. The man had attended a basketball program at the school with his daughter, and it had ended. After all the parents had left, the man noticed a boy, alone and crying. The man notified police.
The boy told police that he had been dropped off at the basketball practice by his mother. The program was for children aged 3 to 5 years of age. Staff provided the mother’s contact information to police. The mother, a resident of Dedham, stated that she was returning from grocery shopping. She was advised that children participating in the program must be attended full-time.
Tuesday, October 3rd
Victim of Mailbox Fishing and Check Washing
10:55 a.m. A Westwood resident reported being the victim of identity theft. On Labor Day weekend, she had mailed a $109 check to pay a credit card bill. She used a mailbox that was outside either the Braintree Post Office or a Stop and Shop grocery store.
When the resident reviewed her next credit card statement, it seemed too high. She investigated with her local bank. The bank confirmed that the check had cleared, but for a different amount - $4,900. The bank informed her the check was made out to a “Lisa Gobolt” and was cashed at Regions Bank.
It appears that the resident’s check may have been fished from a mailbox, washed, and rewritten for a much larger amount to the unknown person. Police are investigating.
Monday, October 2nd
Lost Dog Reported
9:53 p.m. A resident of Nebo Street in Medfield reported a missing dog, who had escaped around four hours earlier. The caller was looking into whether the dog had been found in any neighboring towns. It was described as a black and white Labrador-shepherd mix.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and Westwood Police for contributing information for this article.
