Police say that a Westwood resident engaged in a “tussle” with suspects thought to be behind multiple vehicle break-ins on Cobleigh Street and surrounding areas on Monday evening, November 17th to Tuesday, November 18th, when around eight vehicles were discovered broken into and rummaged through, with thieves stealing cash, property, and credit cards.
The majority of the break-ins were reported around the timeframe of 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Monday evening. At 9:20 p.m., Westwood Police responded to a home on Strafford Street where a married couple reported hearing a ruckus and noticed six hooded figures checking out cars in the area. The husband told police he confronted the suspects - whom he described to police as teens or young adults – and he reportedly knocked down one male suspect. According to the police report, the suspect, wearing a black puffer jacket and grey sweat pants, reached inside his jacket and told the homeowner that he had a firearm. The resident retreated.
The suspects fled in a 2013 black Ford Mustang, hitting other vehicles as it departed. Police discovered that the Mustang was registered to a Westwood resident on Washington Street, and alerted the owner that it had been stolen. The vehicle’s owner had just returned home from the nearby Roche Bros. supermarket around 9:00 p.m. and could not find his car keys. Police believe the lost keys were inside the resident’s car, and the suspects took advantage of the easy target, driving away in the Mustang to aid them in a continuation of their string of thefts in the area.
One Cobleigh Street resident showed police video footage showing someone breaking into the resident’s Toyota Highlander around 9:04 p.m. The resident reported the incident shortly after 10:00 p.m. Police arrived to find many items discarded in the street.
Over the course of about one hour on Cobleigh Street, police became aware of at least three more vehicles being rummaged through, some with items missing, such as $10 in cash and credit cards. Other vehicles had nothing stolen, likely because the suspects found nothing they considered of value.
Police also received a report from Hooper Street around 10:52 p.m. in which a Dodge Ram 1500 had been rummaged through.
Police believe that the suspects may have entered Westwood by bus, and exited the bus on foot in the area of Hooper Street where they began testing vehicles for unlocked doors. Upon finding keys inside the Ford Mustang on Washington Street, police believe that the suspects continued their exploits in that vehicle, that included break-ins on Cobleigh Street and Strafford Road.
The following morning, on Tuesday, November 18, a few more reports of motor vehicle break-ins from residents on nearby streets of Forest Road and Webster Street were reported to Westwood Police. They appear to be related to the break-ins of the previous night.
Police are in possession of security camera footage showing one suspect wearing a dark, puffy jacket and light pants, matching the description of the suspect who verbally threatened the Strafford Street resident by claiming to have a firearm.
In general, the vehicles targeted for theft do not appear to have been damaged to gain entry, said Westwood Police Sergeant Joseph Rached. Police believe the suspects gained entry through unlocked doors. Items taken roughly total around $170 in cash, and also include credit cards, a bag, and HOKA running shoes.
The thieves also do not appear to have targeted any particular model of car, as a variety of models were involved in the police reports. Some of the vehicles were a Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Dodge Ram 1500.
Boston Police recovered the stolen Mustang 10 days later, on Thanksgiving, November 27, said Sgt. Rached. It had been completely totaled, he said. It also appears that $60 cash and credit cards were missing.
“Please lock your car doors and don’t keep your keys in your vehicles,” Sergeant Rached warns residents. “People think this is Westwood and that it’s safe, and it is safe, but crimes happen everywhere.”
Thanks to Sergeant Joseph Rached and Westwood Police Department for sharing information for this Westwood Minute article.
Sunny, with a high of 27 and low of 9 degrees. Sunny in the morning, overcast in the afternoon and evening, clear overnight.
14° and Clear