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2-24-2025 12:49am
Police Log: Arrest of Man for A&B, Strangulation, Mayhem; Car Engulfed in Flames
Darlene Cancell
Editor
The news described in this installment of 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 Detective Sergeant Christopher Aylward 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.
Monday, February 17th
Hit-and-Run Driver Backs into Mailbox
9:40 a.m. A resident of Greenacre Road reported damage that occurred to the resident’s mailbox the previous night. A Ring doorbell camera showed that a pickup truck backed into the mailbox around 5:40 p.m.
Sunday, February 16th
Another Damaged Mailbox
11:18 a.m. Police received a report of damage to a mailbox on the 1500 block of High Street. It is believed to have occurred between 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 15th to 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 16th. It appears the damage may have been caused by a snow plow.
Saturday, February 15th
Road Rage
3:53 p.m. A 29 year-old woman summoned police to the parking lot of Life Time Fitness on Harvard Street, after reporting that her car was being followed by another driver and vehicle an apparent road rage incident. She reported that she was driving her white GMC pickup truck on a one lane road in Norwood behind a slowly moving black BMW, and eventually passed the BMW when the road opened to two lanes on University Avenue. The driver of the BMW reportedly honked, then followed the complainant into the parking lot of University Station shopping plaza. The BMW followed complainant through the parking lot from the Target store, to Chipotle, to Lifetime Fitness. When complainant contacted police, the black BMW – reportedly driven by a female – left the area.
Shoplifting for Valentine’s Day
6:41 p.m. Police responded to the Target store where a suspected shoplifter had been stopped by the store’s asset protection staff. The woman reportedly took items to the self-checkout and scanned some, but not all items, before attempting to leave the store. She had paid for two, inexpensive storage containers priced at $2 each, but had not paid for a Keurig coffeemaker worth $130. The suspect, a 56 year-old Norwood resident, told police she wanted to get a Valentine’s Day gift for her mother. She was arrested for shoplifting by asportation, third offense.
Friday, February 14th
Three-Car Collision on Washington Street
3:50 p.m. A three-car collision occurred on Washington Street when a vehicle, driven by a 46 year-old Westwood man, pulled out of the CVS driveway to head north on Washington Street and was struck on the right side by a second vehicle travelling north on Washington Street. The second vehicle, that was driven by a 27 year-old woman from Hyde Park, veered to the right, striking a third vehicle that was parked on Washington Street outside Neroli Restaurant. The vehicles received major damage and all three vehicles required towing. The Westwood resident complained of back pain and the Hyde Park resident complained of a head injury, but both declined medical treatment.
Thursday, February 13th
Man is Arrested for Assault and Battery, Strangulation, Mayhem and More
7:00 a.m. Westwood Police provided support to Boston Police, who were serving an arrest warrant on a resident of the Budget Inn on Providence Highway in Westwood. The 41 year-old man was wanted in relation to a domestic incident that had occurred in Boston. The man was wanted for assault and battery of a household member, strangulation, assault with a mallet, battery causing serious bodily injury, and mayhem.
Wednesday, February 12th
Fraudulent Charges Total over $1K for GoTickets
4:13 p.m. A resident of Pond Street reported finding two fraudulent charges on her Discover credit card, in the amounts of $532.55 and $642, charged to GoTickets. She had made no such purchases and was able to cancel the transactions.
Tuesday, February 11th
Three-Car Accident on High Street
5:34 p.m. Police were summoned to the scene of a three-car accident on High Street during rush hour. A 2010 Mazda sedan had struck a 2020 Toyota Camry, pushing it into a 2023 Toyota Corolla. The driver of the Mazda reported that the Camry in front of her had stopped quickly and she was unable to stop in time. The driver of the Camry complained of neck pain but refused treatment. All three vehicles remained operable and were able to be driven away from the scene.
Monday, February 10th
Dog Escapes Through Open Window
8:40 a.m. A family returned home to Burgess Avenue after a weekend away to find that a window in the house was open. Their neighbor had informed them that their large dog, who had been kept inside the house, was seen running outside. Police investigated and did not find any forced entry. No property was missing.
Car Engulfed in Flames
After 3:00 p.m. Police responded to a car engulfed in flames at the Seasons parking lot on Route 1. The driver, a 57 year-old man from Hingham, reported that he had been driving his 2023 BMW X6 on Route 128 when he saw “bubbling” and smoking from under the car's hood. He pulled off the road into the parking lot on Route 1 and saw flames arise from the engine. The car was soon engulfed in flames. Fortuitously, fire apparatus from the Quincy Fire Department and Canton Fire Department were in the area, returning from assisting with a fire in Dedham, and spotted the fire. They stopped to extinguish the car fire. The Hingham man reported having no idea what may have caused the fire. No injuries were reported.
Thanks to Detective Sergeant Christopher Aylward and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this Westwood Minute article.
