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5-30-2024 12:23am
Police Log: Teen Driver Brandishes Weapon During Road Rage Incident and Other Stories
Darlene Cancell
Editor
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 that it obtains from other sources into these stories.
Saturday, May 25th
Mailbox Vandalism or Accident?
8:57 a.m. Police received a report of damage to a mailbox sometime overnight. A resident of Sycamore Drive reported that sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m., his mailbox became damaged. The responding officer noticed that the box was hanging down, with a connecting piece still attaching it to its post. No other mailbox in the area appeared to have been damaged. The resident noted that an Amazon delivery had been made at 6:30 a.m. and it is possible that the driver struck the mail box. The complainant has asked a neighbor with a video security system to check the video for an explanation of what happened.
Teen Driver Brandishes Weapon During Road Rage Incident
2:28 p.m. A woman from Worcester reported an incident of road rage when another driver flashed what appeared to be a gun at her. The woman reported driving on Interstate 95 when the road rage incident occurred. The report did not mention what precipitated the incident, but a driver in another car appeared to point a black handgun at her. She pulled off onto the Route 1 exit and contacted police. A license plate number of the suspect’s vehicle, a 2018 grey Honda CR-V, was provided. Police determined the vehicle to be registered to a Dover resident, with three licensed operators at the address. The woman was able to identify the gun-waving suspect based on a driver’s license photo.
Police contacted the suspect, an 18 year-old resident of Dover, who came into Westwood Police Station accompanied by his parents. Police learned that the weapon which he showed the other driver was a BB gun, not a fire arm.
Because the incident occurred on an interstate, jurisdiction is with Massachusetts State Police who will be seeking charges. The teenager relinquished the BB gun to police possession.
Lost Puppy Who Eluded Searchers for 2 Weeks is Finally Found, after Being Struck by Vehicle
4:24 p.m. A lost 8 month old puppy from Norwood was reunited after 13 days with its owner when it was finally located, injured, in Westwood. The small, white Bichon poodle mix went missing on May 12th, and there had been multiple sitings of the puppy in Westwood before it was finally found.
Just before midnight on May 24th, a Westwood Police officer was leaving the police station when he observed a small, white dog on Deerfield Avenue, unleashed, and without an apparent owner in the vicinity. He tried to track it, but it ran away into a backyard. Dispatch informed the officer of recent sitings of a small, white dog, matching descriptions of a missing dog from Norwood. The officer and two additional officers continued the search for the dog on foot.
An hour later, dispatch received a call that a small white dog was seen on Gay Street, near Milk Street. The three officers responded. While en route, a motorist reported that a white dog had been struck by a vehicle. The motorist reported being bitten by the dog when attempting to provide aid.
The officers found the dog in the middle of the road. It’s rear was injured, but it had raised its head and was alert. The injured animal was transported to Tufts Emergency in Walpole in a Westwood Police cruiser. Westwood Police contacted the dog’s owner and explained what had occurred.
Medical staff informed police that the dog was in a stable but critical condition. It had a broken pelvis, but was expected to recover, and that the owner had assumed responsibility to care for the dog.
One Thing Leads to Another
8:12 p.m. An officer observed a black, Dodge Challenger appear to be speeding over the 50 m.p.h. speed limit on Providence Highway. Radar showed the vehicle was moving at 82 m.p.h. The Dodge pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot on Everett Street and backed into a parking space. Police approached the vehicle, and learned that the driver did not have a license on him, and did not have registration. The driver informed police that the vehicle belonged to a relative.
The responding officer discovered that the driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle had been suspended. The 33 year old man from Attleboro was arrested for driving with a suspended license, subsequent offense, failing to have a license in his possession, and speeding. Bail was set at $1540.
Party Creates Disturbance
10:44 p.m. Police received a report of people screaming outdoors on Thatcher Street. Police discovered a party in progress. The party was moved indoors.
Shoplifter is Trespassed from Target
4:56 p.m. Staff of the Target store on University Avenue reported a shoplifting in progress. Upon police arrival, an asset protection employee informed the officer that the suspect that taken merchandise worth $35. Police located the suspect in the parking lot, where she was seated in her vehicle. Target staff decided against pressing criminal charges due to the woman’s cooperation and low dollar value of the items. She was issued a notice of no trespassing.
Suspicious Solicitor on Scooter, Part III
7:02 p.m. A caller from Spellman Road reported a suspicious male with dark hair on a scooter who was soliciting but did not appear to have an orange badge, an indication of having a police-issued permit for solicitation. Police located the individual, a 22 year-old Boston resident. He was advised to apply for a permit.
Friday, May 24th
Disturbance over Custody Issue
1:48 p.m. An officer responded to an address at Southwest Park where a disturbance involving a male and female was reported. Upon arrival, the officer found a man from Stoughton and woman from New York who both appeared calm. The officer learned they were discussing a custody issue. The officer advised them to bring up the issue at probate court and to abide by court decisions.
Thursday, May 23rd
Complaints Against Man Offering Rides to Woman, Child
1:53 p.m. Police responded to a handful of reports regarding a suspicious man offering rides. On one occasion, a resident of Carby Street contacted police to report that as the resident’s child walked to a bus stop, a man in a black car pulled over to ask if the child wanted a ride. The child declined, and the car turned left from Carby Street onto Dover Road. The man was described as having dark skin, possibly Middle Eastern, and bald.
On May 22nd, a woman reported that around 8:00 p.m., she was approached in the Hale Education Cat Rock parking lot by a man with description similar to the man who was reported offering to pick up the child. The woman was walking to a bus in the parking lot. She walked away and the interaction ended. The same woman reported a second incident when the same man approached her, again asking if she needed a ride. She was walking along Carby Street around 8:00 a.m., carrying a box. She described the man’s vehicle as a white SUV with an Ohio license plate.
An investigating officer learned that a Hale employee was marginally familiar with such a man, and had accepted rides from the man in the past. The employee believed the man frequented Hale Education with his wife and a dog.
On May 23rd, an officer was dispatched to Hale Education on the report that the White SUV with the Ohio license plate was present on the property. The officer spoke to the operator of the vehicle, a Westwood resident, whom the officer found walking a dog. The officer informed the man of complaints to police regarding his offer of rides to a woman and child.
The man admitted to offering rides to the woman, and indicated that he did so as a way to give assistance, because she was carrying a large box. He reportedly told the officer that he tries to help when he sees people struggling. He denied approaching the child, and showed the officer a work calendar that indicated he was on a business trip during the date and time of the incident. The officer told the man he would inform the two complainants about their conversation.
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Identity Thief Attempts to Open Three Credit Card Accounts
5:45 p.m. A resident of French Street reported identity theft when he learned through a notification from Experian credit reporting service that three credit cards (to Wells Fargo, Target, and Chase Bank) had been applied for in his name on May 23rd. Experian blocked the credit card activity, and the resident has filed a complaint for credit card fraud with the Federal Trade Commission.
Suspicious Wanderer
8:33 p.m. A caller from Fox Hill Street reported as suspicious a male in his 20s, wearing a red shirt, reflective vest, and backpack. He was carrying an iPad and reportedly wandering in the area. Police responded to the location but did not find the individual.
Wednesday, May 22nd
Unreceptive Audience
11:02 a.m. An officer responded to Carby Street to speak to a complainant about an email consisting of a poem which the complainant presented as suspicious email. The email contained a poem. The responding officer spoke to the author who explained that the message was simply a work of creativity.
Fraudulent Loan Taken Out in Small Business Owner's Name
11:08 a.m. A small business owner on High Street reported a case of identity fraud on which an unknown person had taken out a loan in the complainant’s name. The complainant became aware of the overdue loan when he was contacted by the U.S. Small Business Administration for repayment. The loan was in the amount of $19,670 and the complainant determined that the amount had been deposited in the unknown person’s account in April 2021.
The complainant had a contact phone number associated with the account, but was unfamiliar with the number. The complainant told police that the complainant had applied for a small business loan around the date of the fraudulent loan, but the legitimate loan had already been paid back in full.
Suspicious Solicitor on Scooter, Part II
4:49 p.m. A caller from Dover Road reported that a male party was at the residence’s door, soliciting for pest control. The caller asked police to check for a valid solicitation permit. Police responded to the area but were unable to locate the individual.
Rear-End Collision on East Street
5:19 p.m. Around the 200 block of East Street, a 2013 Toyota driven by a man from Roslindale rear-ended a 2016 Ford driven by a woman from Braintree. Both vehicles were travelling east on East Street when the Ford stopped to make a left turn. The Toyota, which was behind the stopped vehicle, struck the Ford. The Toyota had to be towed. The Ford was able to leave the scene under its own power.
Tuesday, May 21st
Irate Customer is Trespassed from Ulta Beauty
12:43 p.m. An officer responded to Ulta Beauty on University Avenue where a store manager explained that about 30 minutes prior, an irate customer had made threats to the staff. The argument was over the return of a broken hairdryer. Because the customer was unable to produce the credit card with which the purchase was made, the store offered a refund in store credit rather than cash. The customer became extremely angry, and she reportedly stated, “I could take you right now” to a staff member. The manager told the customer to leave, and called 911. The customer left before police arrived. A trespass notice will be mailed to the customer which prohibits the customer from returning to any Ulta Beauty location. Police contacted the customer by phone to inform her.
Monday, May 20th
Break-In and Wallet Stolen from Unlocked Car
5:43 a.m. Police were dispatched to a home on Clapboardtree Street where the resident reported having a car broken into. The resident believes the car was unlocked at 6:30 p.m. the prior evening, when the resident entered the home. In the morning, the resident discovered a wallet was missing from a storage compartment in the Ford F-150 pickup truck. The wallet contained $140 in cash, various permits, and credit cards. Nothing else was taken and other vehicles in the driveway did not appear to have been disturbed.
Suspicious Solicitor on Scooter, Part I
8:37 p.m. Police received a report of a male operating a scooter on Stanford Drive, soliciting for pest control services. Police responded to the area, but the person was not found.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this Westwood Minute article.
Updated 6/3/2024 at 1:31 p.m.
