Police Log: Arrest of Suspect with Outstanding Warrants for Four Counts of Larceny and Other Stories

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

Sunday, March 24th

Missed the Bus

10:38 a.m. Police received a report from Westwood’s Fire Station 2 on Washington Street that a male was in front of the fire station, screaming. An officer responded and found a man in a black ball cap and black puffy jacket. The man told the officer that he had missed his bus and was upset because he would be late for work.

Arrest and Injuries from Accident Caused by Drunk Driving

6:57 p.m. Police arrested the driver of a white Cadillac for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, after the vehicle rear-ended a grey Lexus GS 300 while both vehicles were traveling south on Route 1. The driver of the Lexus, a woman from West Roxbury, was transported to the hospital by Westwood Fire paramedics with minor injuries. The driver of the Cadillac, a 61 year-old man from Dorchester, was charged with operating under the influence and operating negligently. 

Thursday, March 21st

Trespassed from Store for Stealing Alcohol

5:18 p.m. Loss prevention staff at Wegmans grocery store informed police that a 19 year-old female from Norwood had taken a $58 bottle of alcohol from the store without paying. She was confronted in the parking lot and was cooperative. Store staff decided not to press criminal charges but gave the offender a notice of trespass that would last for two years.

Wednesday, March 20th

No Charges for Shoplifting

9:01 p.m. Police responded to a shoplifting in progress at the Target store on University Avenue. Upon arriving at the storefront, the officer was directed to the parking lot where a female in a grey hoodie was observed putting unpaid store items into the trunk of a black SUV. 

The officer approached and discovered that the female was a juvenile. The top of the trunk was closing, but rebounded, due to the many items in the full trunk. Items taken from the store included baby clothes and household items worth a total of $516.56.

In a short while, police located two women who were with the juvenile. The women had been shopping and buying items inside Target. They explained to police that the shoplifting juvenile was a special needs individual. All three individuals were Boston residents.

All items were returned to Target. Store staff declined to prosecute.

Tuesday, March 19th

Accident with Injuries at Intersection of Thatcher and Gay streets

7:58 a.m. A 2017 Audi, driven by a female from Westwood turned from Thatcher Street onto Gay Street and struck a 2022 Hyundai, driven by a woman from Franklin, who was headed East on Gay Street toward Washington Street. 

The Franklin woman was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham. The Westwood driver was cited with failure to yield at an intersection.

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Three Suspects Arrested in Case Related to Life Time Fitness Locker Room Thefts

10:45 a.m. Police arrested three of four individuals who are suspected of perpetrating thefts from the locker rooms of Westwood’s Life Time Fitness on Harvard Street. A gym employee alerted police to the suspicious behavior of two men and two women, one of whom was wearing a disguise. 

Police encountered two of the female suspects and one of two male suspects outside the gym. Each of the three was charged with attempting to commit the crime of breaking and entering a repository, conspiracy and witness interference and obstruction of justice. 

For more on this story, see Westwood Minute’s article, Westwood Police Arrest Three Suspects Following String of Thefts from Life Time Fitness Gym Lockers.

Attempt to Steal a Credit Card Account

11:10 a.m. A resident of Metcalf Road reported a fraudulent charge on his credit card in the amount of $848.94 for an iPhone purchase. The resident also noticed that someone had changed the telephone number associated with his account and the address had also been changed to a location in Canton. Police are investigating.

Monday, March 18th

Tracking Down a Shoplifting Suspect

2:48 p.m. Asset loss prevention staff at Wegmans on University Avenue complained to police about a shoplifting suspect who refused to provide identification when confronted. 

The female suspect left the store with a cart of unpaid items. When a store employee approached her in the parking lot, she agreed to return to the store with the employee. When staff asked for her identification, she refused, then left in a white SUV. 

Store staff were able to provide a license plate to police. Police traced the plate to a female resident of Mattapan. Police continue to investigate.

Theft of Delivered Package

5:35 p.m. A resident of a condominium apartment on University Avenue reported a package theft on March 16th. The resident had received a package which was in the apartment building’s mail room, and planned to retrieve it at a later time. When the resident returned to the building about 12 hours later, the package was gone. It contained cosmetics valued at $150.

Westwood Police Arrest Shoplifting Suspect with Two Outstanding Warrants for Four Counts of Larceny

9:40 p.m. An officer conducting a property check of the University Station shopping area was flagged by two Target store employees and a witness in the parking lot, who told police that two women sitting in a nearby car had stolen numerous items from Target. The women had been observed leaving the store with unpaid items. The total value of items taken was $1,230.01.

The officer approached the vehicle and spoke with its occupants, who both denied having any identification. The officer charged the woman in the driver’s seat with operating a motor vehicle with an expired license, along with resisting arrest because she provided a false name and date of birth and struggled against the officer when being handcuffed. The woman, a 44 year-old from Mattapan, was wanted on four warrants from Newton District Court and Boston Municipal Court to face four charges of larceny. She was held without bail and transported to Dedham District Court the following day. 

The other woman, a 39 year-old, was also from Mattapan. Due to her cooperation with police, she will receive a summons for shoplifting. 

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

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