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6-30-2025 12:48am
Police Log: Woman Reports Being Followed, Responding in Case of Barricaded Medway Man, and Other Stories
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 Lieutenant Michael DiLalla and police staff to Westwood Minute through written records and conversations. Occasionally, Westwood Minute may weave a few facts that it obtains from other sources into these stories.
Monday, June 23rd
Odd Excuse for a Cancelled Registration
2:25 a.m. Police initiated a motor vehicle stop on Kilronan Road after observing a black Honda Civic with a cancelled registration. Upon conversing, the driver informed police that he was unaware of his registration status. He told police he was driving in the car with his girlfriend, after recently leaving his wife, and believed that his wife may have canceled the car registration in retaliation. The driver was issued a citation for driving an unregistered vehicle, having no vehicle registration sticker, and driving without a license in his possession.
Saturday, June 21st
Customer Accused of Assault and Battery on Store Employee
4:01 p.m. An officer on security detail with Frugal Fannie’s on Wilson Way received a report from the store manager regarding the assault of an employee by a customer the previous day. The officer spoke with the victim, who reported that while intervening in an argument between another co-worker and the customer, the victim asked the customer to leave and stepped between the two arguing women. The customer reportedly struck the victim on the left shoulder. The victim reported no injuries, but is interested in pressing criminal charges for assault and battery against the suspect, a woman from West Roxbury.
Suspicious of Fraud by Family
6:26 p.m. A resident of Gables University Station apartments on University Avenue reported that someone had fraudulently opened a Citibank credit card in her name, incurring a debt of about $20,000. She reported being suspicious of a family member, whom she feared may also try to take money out of an IRA account for which they are both listed as account owners. Police advised the resident to contact her financial institutions as soon as possible with her concerns.
Friday, June 20th
Juveniles Caught Shoplifting
9:46 a.m. An officer was dispatched to the CVS store on Washington Street where the store manager shared a video of two female juveniles, and one or both were concealing merchandise in their clothing. A girl placed a spray bottle inside her shirt, and costume jewelry was placed in a pocket.
Upon questioning, one girl produced the jewelry from her pocket. The second girl denied taking anything.
The manager declined to press criminal charges, but trespassed the two girls, both residents of Boston, from the store. The parents of the girls were unable to be reached. An adult arrived to take supervisory responsibility of the two girls.
Assisting in Case of Medway Barricaded Suspect
10:48 a.m. A Westwood Police detective responded to a request for MetroLEC assistance from Medway Police Department, which about an hour earlier had responded to Oakland Street in Medway to investigate a 911 call.
Upon arrival, Medway Police observed a car backing away from a man on the street, who was smashing something. The man then ran into a nearby home, and officers recognized the man as its resident, from previous involvement with him.
Medway Police have noted that the man emerged from the house with what appeared to be a machete, and verbally threatened the officers while waving the machete. An officer shot him with a “40 mm less-lethal projectile,” causing him to drop to the ground. However, he retained the weapon and was able to run back into the home, say police.
Medway Police sealed off traffic and established a hasty perimeter, assisted by officers from Mills and Franklin Police. MetroLEC was activated, which included a call to Westwood Police for assistance. A Westwood detective responded to assist with the barricaded subject.
Police employed negotiators to persuade the man to come out of his house. He emerged around 1:00 p.m. After resisting arrest, the 39-year old was taken into custody by a SWAT team. He was transported to a hospital, while under arrest for assault with a dangerous weapon and other charges.
Rear-End Collision Sends Both Drivers to Hospital
5:11 p.m. Police responded to the scene of a rear-end collision on Providence Highway where a Ford truck appears to have been following a Nissan too closely. Police observed major damage to the rear of the Nissan and major damage to the front end of the Ford. Both drivers were transported to the hospital. Police cited the driver of the Ford, a resident of North Easton, with following the Nissan (driven by a resident of Norwood), too closely.
Thursday, June 19th
Hit-and-Run Driver Fleeing Scene is Stopped by Citizen
10:33 a.m. A woman told police that while she was shopping at Wegmans on University Avenue, she saw a car back into her vehicle, and attempt to leave the scene. As the complainant shouted out, another citizen heard the complainant’s cries, and stopped the fleeing car.
The complainant and the driver of the fleeing car exchanged information. The complainant was now reporting the apparent attempt at a hit-and-run to police, and provided police with the other driver’s identification and registration.
Suspicious Man with Camera
1:49 p.m. A caller reported that a suspicious male was taking photos of a home on Endicott Street. Police investigated. The suspect informed police that he is employed by the homeowner’s insurance company. A call to the company confirmed the man’s statement to be true.
Vandalism and Westwood Pride Sign Stolen
8:23 p.m. A resident of Dover Road reported that a sign with her home address had been smashed, and a Westwood Pride sign had been taken from her yard. She reported getting along with all of her neighbors and did not know who would have been motivated to commit the acts.
Wednesday, June 18th
Trespassing a Neighbor
11:51 a.m. A resident of Crouse Avenue complained to police about a neighbor who repeatedly comes onto her property, unwanted. Police spoke with the neighbor, who will be trespassed from the complainant’s property.
Feeling Harassed
2:33 p.m. A female resident of Phillips Brooks Road reported that she is being harassed with unwanted phone calls and text messages by a male with whom she had a previous relationship. It appears that nothing criminal has transpired. The resident was requesting information about potential options to deal with the unwanted attention.
Prosecuting a Repeat Shoplifter
3:20 p.m. Police met with a manager of Ulta Beauty on University Avenue who was compiling information about instances of shoplifting connected to one suspect. The manager told police that items worth $226 were stolen on November 24, 2024 and items worth $832 were stolen on October 5, 2024. The female suspect is also believed to have shoplifted from the nearby Target store on University Avenue on May 4, 2025. Police will be charging the suspect, a resident of Hyde Park, with shoplifting.
Tuesday, June 17th
Woman Reports Being Followed by Man in Blue Car
12:05 p.m. Police took a report from a Weymouth resident who complained that, for the past two months, she has been followed by a man in a blue Honda with a Massachusetts license plate. The complainant provided police with the Honda’s plate number and described the man has having a nose earring. Upon investigating, police determined that the registered owner of the vehicle matched the woman’s description of the driver of the Honda.
The woman reported that while being followed, she pulled into the parking lot of Not Your Average Joe’s restaurant on University Avenue, and watched as the blue Honda also pulled in. Fed up, she confronted the driver.
She provided police with a video of the confrontation. In the video, she could be heard telling the suspect to show his face, stated that he had followed her and that she would report him to the police. In the video, the driver is observed rolling up the vehicle’s heavily tinted windows and driving away.
Police contacted the owner of the vehicle by phone, but they were hung up on. Police note that the suspect has failed to return their call.
The complainant further explained that she believed the harassment was connected to a court case that involved her daughter. She told police that she had a past relationship with an FBI agent and had made enemies due to the legal proceeding.
Destroying a Firearm
4:16 p.m. A resident of Clapboardtree Street contacted police to turn over possession of a 22 caliber firearm, Remington shotgun shells, and ammunition. The homeowner requested that they be destroyed.
Resident Suspected of a Hit-and-Run
6:28 p.m. Westwood Police received a request for assistance from Dedham Police who asked for a check of the vehicle of a resident of Carroll Avenue. The resident is suspected of a hit-and-run.
Juvenile Prank
7:06 p.m. Police received a complaint from a resident of Strafford Road who reported that two juveniles rang the doorbell and ran away.
Monday, June 16th
Pride Sign Stolen from Baker Street
8:11 a.m. Police received a report that a pride sign was taken from a front lawn on Baker Street.
Shoplifters Leave in Rental Car
8:18 p.m. Asset protection staff of Nordstrom Rack on University Avenue informed police that just minutes earlier, two females, estimated to be in their 50s or early 60s, had exited the store with unpaid merchandise. They are believed to have taken beauty accessories and cosmetics, a candle, and children’s shoes, worth a total of about $624. Staff observed them leaving in a white, Nissan Frontier with a New Hampshire plate and sticker. Police have investigated and learned that the vehicle belongs to a rental car company.
Thanks to Lieutenant Michael DiLalla and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this Westwood Minute article.
Updated 6/30/2025 at 9:17 a.m.
