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10-21-2025 12:22am
Police Log: Drone Finds Missing Child, Driver Injured after Running Red Light, 6 Arrests 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 facts that it obtains from other sources into these stories.
Monday, October 13th
Upsetting Argument
8:58 p.m. Police received a report that a female was screaming and crying in the area of Providence Highway between Mercedes-Benz of Westwood and Progressive Insurance. Police learned she had argued with her boyfriend.
Sunday, October 12th
Arrest of Suspect in Possession of Multiple Identification Cards
4:11 p.m. Staff of the Target store on University Avenue reported seeing a suspect attempt to exit the store with about $510 in unpaid clothing and other merchandise. Staff reported that the female suspect paid for chips and a drink only. Upon being confronted by two officers at the exit, the suspect alleged that she had receipts in the car and attempted to pass the officers. Police then handcuffed the suspect and requested identification. The suspect informed police identification was in her wallet.
In the suspect’s wallet, police found several different Massachusetts driver’s licenses, two Massachusetts state identification cards, and one EBT card. One card appeared to belong to the suspect, identifying her as a Boston resident. All of the other cards appeared to belong to other people and are believed to be stolen.
Police also discovered the suspect had three warrants for her arrest. She was arrested on the warrants, charged with shoplifting (third offense), providing false information after arrest, and receiving stolen property (subsequent offense). She was denied bail.
Shoplifting Incident Leads to Arrest
4:30 p.m. Police detained a suspected shoplifter at Wegmans supermarket on University Avenue. She was believed to have stolen $8 worth of food without paying. While the suspect was detained, police also learned the suspect, a resident of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, had a warrant for her arrest, dating back to 2022. She was arrested on the warrant and charged for shoplifting.
Saturday, October 11th
Driver is Considered Immediate Threat on the Road
10:28 a.m. Police observed a white Alfa Romeo headed east on Hartford Street at an excessive speed, estimated to be 55-60 m.p.h. Police stopped the car, which had New Hampshire plates. However, as police exited the cruiser and approached, the vehicle accelerated and took off.
Police pursued, with the help of a witness who pointed in the north direction on High Rock. During the pursuit, a resident called police to report a vehicle being driven erratically on Dover Road. The license plate of the erratic vehicle matched that of the Alfa Romeo which had fled the police stop.
A witness, who had been headed east on Dover Road while approaching High Rock, reported that the Alfa Romeo failed to stop at a stop sign. The witness reported having to take evasive action to avoid being struck.
Police learned that the Alfa Romeo was registered to a car rental company in Manchester, New Hampshire, and that it had been rented to a customer with addresses in Medfield and Dorchester.
Police contacted the suspect, who provided police with a Braintree address and denied driving the Alfa Romeo.
Police have noted that the suspect has a history of being found guilty of failing to stop for police. Police charged the suspect with failure to stop, operating a motor vehicle negligently, and speeding. Police also filed a request with the Registry of Motor Vehicles that the suspect be considered an immediate threat on the road, which will result in his license being suspended until a hearing can be held on the charge.
Couple’s Argument Attracts Attention in Dedham, Westwood
11:07 p.m. A caller reported hearing a man and woman arguing outside, in a car, on Conant Road. The car departed to High Street. Police received a second complaint about parties arguing in a car in front “St. Margaret Mary’s,” the location that is now known as Saint Joan of Arc. The police log also indicates that Dedham Police had earlier received a similar report of a couple arguing in a car.
Friday, October 10th
Witness Aids Police in Making Arrest for Assault
11:57 a.m. Police responded to a report of two parties fighting in a grey, Toyota RAV4 in the parking lot outside of Wegmans supermarket on University Avenue. As police approached, the car fled. Police were able to pull over the vehicle shortly thereafter, and separated the two parties.
The couple, a boyfriend and girlfriend, each separately reported to police that they had been only having a verbal argument, and nothing physical had transpired.
Police spoke with a witness who informed police that she saw the boyfriend strike his girlfriend multiple times. Police arrested the male for assault.
Suspicious Activity on Edgewood Road
9:54 p.m. Police received a complaint of three youth in “white hoods” who were loitering on Edgewood Road. They were gone upon police arriving at the scene.
Intoxicated Youth
6:57 p.m. Police were notified that a student spectator at a high school football game appeared intoxicated. Police located student and contacted the student’s mother. The parent took the student back to their home in Westwood.
Thursday, October 9th
Arrest after One Thing Leads to Another
12:28 p.m. An officer conducting stationary traffic enforcement observed an unregistered black motorcycle pass by in the area of Marshall and Washington streets. Upon making a traffic stop, the officer learned that the operator had no license on him, as it had been suspended in June due to negligent operation and the filing of the operator as an immediate threat. The operator was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle after license suspension and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.
Vandalism to Vehicle on Grafton Avenue
2:25 p.m. A resident of Grafton Avenue reported vandalism to her Lexus that was parked in her driveway. Sometime between October 8 and the morning of October 9, someone had scratched the driver’s side mirror and door.
Wednesday, October 8th
Arrest on Warrant, Following Shoplifting Investigation
12:45 p.m. Police responded to the Marshalls store on University Avenue on the report of a male leaving the store with a cart of unpaid merchandise. Store staff confronted the suspect and detained him until police arrived.
Upon investigation, police learned that there were two suspects working together and that one suspect, a resident of Randolph, had four warrants for his arrest and a long list of prior convictions for shoplifting. Police found merchandise from Marshalls and Wegmans supermarket in his car, with and without receipt. An estimate of the value of stolen merchandise is just under $1,400. Police arrested the suspect on the warrant. Both suspects were charged for shoplifting.
Solicitor Alleges Resident Threatened him with a Firearm
4:52 p.m. Police received a complaint from a solicitor who reported that a homeowner on Forbes Road threatened him with a firearm. Police contacted the homeowner who informed police that after the solicitor banged on the house door multiple times, the homeowner asked him to leave and told the solicitor that he had a license to carry a firearm. While the solicitor reported that the homeowner threatened to get his AK-47, the homeowner denied threatening the solicitor. Police advised the homeowner to visit Town Hall to investigate a prohibition on solicitation at his address.
Westwood Police Drone Unit Finds Missing Girl
9:37 p.m. Police responded to a request for mutual aid from Walpole Police who were searching for a missing female. Westwood Police deployed its drone, which was successful in locating the female deep in swamp land between Ginely Road and Cobbs Pond in Walpole around 10:15 p.m. Upon being located, Walpole Police and Walpole Fire extracted her from the area around 11:30 p.m. Foxborough Police and Massachusetts State Police also assisted.
Monday, October 6th
Extortion Attempt Following Explicit Photo Exchange on Grindr App
4:54 p.m. A Norwood resident reported an attempt at extortion, online. The complainant informed police that after he sent 9 explicit photos to someone he matched with on the Grindr app, he received multiple orders from an online person, “Jessica Prado,” that he must send $100 to Venmo or else explicit photos of the complainant would be sent to complainant’s Facebook contacts. The complainant did not send any money. Police are investigating.
Sunday, October 5th
Was It “Ding-Dong Ditch” or “Ghosting?”
7:19 p.m. Police responded on the report of an altercation between neighbors on Church Street. An older male complained of an ongoing problem of neighborhood children ringing his doorbell and running away. The older male told police that on this day, he chased the four juveniles and spoke to one of the children - the neighbor - who agreed to stop the behavior. The juvenile’s father told police that the older male had told the children to get out, and had placed hands upon his child, pushing him.
Police spoke with the children involved. The children informed police that they were “ghosting” homes in the neighborhood and that the older man had followed them in his car, and had come within inches of hitting one of them.
No charges were filed.
Wednesday, October 1st
Driver Injured after Running Red Light
9:54 a.m. One person was transported to the hospital after a white van reportedly ran through a red light on High Street, and slammed into the driver side of a Dodge Pickup that was turning onto High Street from Hartford Street. Multiple witnesses reported that the van had run the red light. The driver of the van, a resident of Lynn, was transported to the hospital. That driver also received a citation for running a red light. Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.
Stoughton Resident Arrested for Violating Harassment Prevention Order
4:10 p.m. Police were dispatched to Roche Bros. on Washington Street to serve a harassment prevention order to a resident of Stoughton who allegedly was harassing an employee of the supermarket. The suspect fled from police, but was located in the area of Frugal Fannie’s on Wilson Way, and was served with the order, in hand.
Later that evening, police in an unmarked cruiser observed the man walking through an area of woods to arrive at the front of the home of the Roche Bros. employee. Police made the arrest. Bail was denied.
Thanks to Lieutenant Michael DiLalla and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information to this Westwood Minute article.
