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10-07-2025 10:56pm
Police Log: Car Collides with Coyote, Mischief at the Library, 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 Detective Lieutenant Christopher Aylward 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.
Sunday, September 28th
Stealing Bedsheets
1:15 p.m. Staff at the Target store on University Avenue reported a shoplifting. An unidentified female left the store with bedsheets, valued at $32, without paying. She had paid for other items, but failed to scan the sheets. The suspect departed in a black truck.
Saturday, September 27th
Car Collides with Coyote
12:04 a.m. Police took a report of a single-car crash involving a coyote. The driver told police that the coyote ran in front of the driver’s car, and there was no chance to stop before hitting the animal. The coyote was put out of its misery. No damage to the car was noted.
Land Rover Collides with Mailbox
11:21 p.m. Police responded to a residence on Grove Street, upon noticing evidence of a Land Rover LR4 colliding with a mailbox in the area of a house party. Police spoke to the vehicle's driver, a juvenile from Wellesley. No injuries were reported, and no citations were issued.
Friday, September 26th
Mischief at the Library
10:41 a.m. Police received a report from Westwood Public Library staff that two juveniles had placed inappropriate photos on a library computer for other people to find. The youths were identified and spoken to.
Thursday, September 25th
Reuniting Mother and Child
9:38 a.m. Police responded to a call for assistance from the Amtrak station, where a 10 year old autistic child was being cared for by station staff. The child had left his mother in Boston, got on the train himself, and arrived at the Route 128 station. Westwood Police, with assistance from Boston Police, helped to reunite mother and child.
Wednesday, September 24th
Car Stolen from Westwood Is Involved in Wellesley Collision
2:08 p.m. A guest of the Budget Inn on Providence Highway reported a stolen car. The Raynham resident received a call the previous day, early in the morning, from Wellesley Police, who told her that her 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe was involved in a collision in Wellesley. It was due to the call that the Raynham resident realized her car had been stolen on September 23rd from the Budget Inn parking lot, around the hours of midnight to 4 a.m.
Police Arrest Two People for Stealing Over $600
4:21 p.m. At the Target store on University Avenue, police encountered a 42-year-old male suspect who is believed to have concealed a laptop and cleaning supplies in an attempt to steal them. The merchandise was worth over $600. Police also encountered a 33-year-old female concealing clothing and dog food. When she tried to walk out, police apprehended her. Both the suspects were arrested. They are believed to be homeless with Brockton being their last known address.
K9 Unit Provides Mutual Aid
5:18 p.m. Westwood Police responded to a request for mutual aid from Norwood Police, following a shooting on Laurel Road in Norwood. Westwood’s K9 unit responded to help search for spent shell casings and other ballistics evidence. Nothing was found.
Tuesday, September 23rd
Party at Porsche Dealership
9:39 p.m. Security staff for the Porshe dealership on Providence Highway informed police of someone walking around the property after business hours. When police arrived, they found two cars parked there, one in a handicap spot. The cars were playing loud music. In one of the cars, a male was sitting. He told police he was an Instagram influencer and he was showing off the vehicles. Staff of the car dealership believed that the car must have been unlocked for the influencer to access it. No charges have been filed while police investigate.
Monday, September 22nd
Pried-Open Safe Discovered in Woods
11:25 a.m. A caller reported finding a safe that had been pried open in the woods just off Sandy Valley Road. Police arrived and located it. It was viewable from the small parking lot at the end of the street. The safe was made of a heavy metal, and was approximately 18” x 18” x 24”, or about the size of a small trash can. Police brought the safe back to the police station and are investigating whether it may be related to any open cases.
Switching Price Tags
3:50 p.m. Police responded to the Target store on University Avenue where a suspected shoplifter was found in possession of clothing valued at $179. An employee had noticed the female suspect scanning and swapping prices on items at the self-checkout register. A self-checkout machine had alerted staff that one or more tags being scanned did not match the items to which they were affixed. Staff confronted the suspect when she walked out with the merchandise. Police notified the 20-year-old Norwood resident that she would be summoned to court on a charge of shoplifting.
Unfriendly "Ghosting"
9:23 p.m. A Westwood resident complained that his 12-year-old daughter was being antagonized by some middle school students. The resident noted that his daughter was “ghosted” when some kids left candy with carrots at the family’s door. Written on the carrots were messages like, “We carrot about your health.” Based on a past alleged school bullying incident, the resident believed the ghosting incident was intended to be unfriendly.
Thanks to Detective Lieutenant Christopher Aylward and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information to this Westwood Minute article.
