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Image by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell.
8-29-2024 12:20am
Police Log: Firecracker Explodes after Being Thrown Through Open Window, into Needham Resident's Lap
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.
Sunday, August 25th
Vehicle Strikes Electronic Sign
9:26 a.m. An officer patrolling the area of the Amtrak train station on University Avenue discovered an electronic message board located about 50 feet from its normal spot. The officer determined that it appeared to have been struck by a motor vehicle and launched forward about 50 feet, coming to rest on a traffic island.
Saturday, August 24th
Imposter Poses as Sheriff's Representative
12:17 p.m. A Dedham resident reported receiving a call from someone purporting to be “Sergeant Smith from the Norfolk County Sheriff’s office.” The caller told the resident that the resident had missed jury duty for a murder trial on August 17th, and as a penalty, the Dedham resident would have to pay $3,000 for failure to show. The caller requested that the resident make the payment at an address on Washington Street in Dedham.
The resident was suspicious and alerted police. Police confirmed with the Norfolk County Sheriff’s office that there was no “Sergeant Smith” employed there and that the call was a scam. Westwood Police learned that Norfolk County Police has received multiple calls complaining of a phone scam of this nature.
“Westwood Police would like to advise residents that any phone call ostensibly from a government entity demanding cash payment, especially if it is to be made in gift card or something other than currency, is approximately one hundred percent likely to be a scam,” says Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy. “We would be happy to take your inquiry before you forgo your hard-earned dollars,” he says.
Suspects Throws Lit Firecracker into Complainant's Lap
1:55 p.m. Police were dispatched to the intersection of University Avenue and Brigham Way where it had been reported that someone was throwing items into a car. Police met two Needham residents. The residents told police that the red, cylindrical object resting on the car’s center console was the remains of a firecracker.
Apparently, the complainants were exiting the University Station shopping area and driving on University Avenue when a blue or grey minivan with a different colored (possibly black) hood drove up alongside them. The occupants of the minivan threw a lit firecracker into the open front window of complainants' Jeep. The firecracker exploded on the lap of one of the complainants.
The suspects continued driving their van on University Avenue to Interstate 95. The suspects were described as men in their 30s and 40s with facial hair.
Police are investigating.
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Friday, August 23rd
Shoplifting for Trading Cards
11:49 a.m. Police responded to the Target store on University Avenue to take the report of a suspect who was observed leaving with $250 worth of Pokémon and baseball cards. An employee observed a male putting the items in a shopping basket and exiting the store without paying.
Thursday, August 22nd
Westwood Woman, Suspected of Stealing Cosmetics, Hides in Woods
2:47 p.m. An officer responded to the CVS store on Washington Street for a shoplifting in progress. Staff observed a woman putting items from the cosmetic aisle into her purse, and exiting without paying. Upon being confronted, the woman uttered a profanity and fled.
CVS staff informed the officer that the suspect was believed to have fled in the direction of the nearby Islington Pizza restaurant.
Police conducted a search of the area and found an adult female resident of Westwood hiding in a wooded area, with possessions that were taken from CVS.
The suspect will be summoned to court for shoplifting merchandise worth about $190.
Wednesday, August 21st
Establishing a Perimeter
4:23 a.m. Westwood Police assisted Norwood Police in establishing a perimeter in an area where a driver had abandoned a vehicle and eluded capture by fleeing on foot. The police log does not state whether the individual was captured, or what offense the individual committed.
Trading Plates
4:25 p.m. An officer on patrol observed a black, Chevrolet Corvette that was stopped outside Seasons Market on Route 1. It had a cancelled license plate which belonged not to the Corvette being driven, but to a Chevrolet Camaro. The owner of the license plate also had a suspended license.
The Corvette pulled out of the parking lot onto Route 1 South, and the police cruiser followed it and made the traffic stop.
The driver of the Corvette was indeed the owner of the cancelled Camaro plate. The driver admitted to having a suspended license, and told the officer that he attached the Camaro license plate to the Corvette because he was not financially able to pay for registration of the Corvette.
Police arrested the man, a 24 year-old from Brockton. He was cited with operating a motor vehicle on suspended license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and attaching plates.
Harassment Among Neighbors
6:10 p.m. A female tenant of a multi-family home alleged harassment by an adult male. The complainant and man live in separate apartments of the multi-family home.
Rear-end Collision Causes Chain Reaction
6:36 p.m. A three-car collision resulted when a 2020 Jeep driven by a juvenile female from Westwood rear-ended a 2022 Nissan driven by a man from Norwood. The crash pushed the Nissan into the back of a 2021 Lexus driven by a woman from Dorchester. The driver of the Lexus reported a neck injury and was transported by Westwood Fire paramedics to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham. The juvenile driver was cited for following too closely and for unsafe operation of a motor vehicle.
Tuesday, August 20th
Injuries Reported after Car Accident at Canton Street
6:56 a.m. At the intersection of Canton Street and University Avenue, a two-car collision resulted when a 2017 Toyota driven by a woman from Dorchester rear-ended a 2005 Toyota driven by a Brockton resident. Both vehicles sustained minor damage. The driver and three passengers in the leading vehicle complained of neck/back pain. They were transported to the hospital.
Monday, August 19th
Missing Fanny Pack
5:45 p.m. A resident of Jamaica Plain reported that her black, fanny pack was missing when she prepared to leave her job at Wegmans supermarket. She remembered having it in the café area of the store during her 2 p.m. lunch break. The purse contained credit cards, a driver’s license, and personal effects.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this Westwood Minute article.
