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1-07-2026 12:27am
Police Log: Shoplifting Suspect Threatens to Call Police on a Driver Parked in Handicapped Spot, Rental Car Scam, 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.
Saturday, December 27th
Juvenile Summoned to Court for Shoplifting
5:39 p.m. An officer responded to the Target store on University Avenue where employees had observed a juvenile conceal items in a shopping cart, and leave the store with unpaid items after scanning some, but not all, at the self-checkout. She was discovered to have taken about $400 in merchandise that included personal care items, clothes, and LEGO Icons. The juvenile will be summoned to Juvenile Court in Dedham for shoplifting.
Friday, December 26th
Jewelry Missing from Uber Delivery
1:31 p.m. Police received a report from a party regarding property believed to be stolen during an Uber delivery. The reporting party used Uber to deliver a grocery bag with clothing and a necklace worth $1,200. Upon delivery, the necklace was discovered to be missing.
Doo Clean Up, Please
4:02 p.m. A resident of Washington Street complained that a female party and her dog regularly walk by his home, and the dog relieves itself on his property. He wanted to record the complaint in case the behavior continues.
Uncooperative with Police
5:24 p.m. Westwood Police visited a home on Arcadia Road at the request of Dedham Police for assistance in getting help to contact the owner of a certain vehicle. Upon arriving at the home, the vehicle was not there, and the homeowner reportedly refused to speak with Westwood Police.
Harassment
7:25 p.m. A resident of Alcott Lane reported receiving calls from an unknown person who reportedly used racial slurs, told the resident that she is not a good mother, and said that the caller would be at the resident’s address in five minutes. Police suspect the caller may be a relative of a household member. No immediate threat has been found.
Investigating an Armed and Barricaded Individual
9:28 p.m. Westwood Police received a call for assistance from Canton Police as part of a MetroLEC response. Westwood Police assisted in investigation related to an armed and barricaded individual in Canton. At 1:30 a.m., the individual was taken into custody.
Wednesday, December 24th
Wrong Pedal
10:02 a.m. Police responded to the area of the School and Washington streets intersection where a white, Audi Q5 had collided with a second vehicle. The elderly driver of the Audi, a resident of South Dartmouth, had missed a turn from School Street into the CVS store parking lot, and chose to park on the opposite side of the street, across from CVS, in a parking space. In attempting a U-turn from that position into the CVS parking lot, the Audi struck a passing vehicle which was traveling slowly through the intersection on School Street. The elderly driver reportedly panicked and hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. The driver of the stricken vehicle, a Walpole resident, was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
Father Discovers Disturbing Texts from Caregiver to His Disabled Daughter
11:34 a.m. Police received a report of possible neglect from a father of a disabled individual who is in a wheelchair and resides in a condominium complex on University Avenue. The father reported being alarmed at text messages between his daughter and her healthcare aide, which he described as hostile and emotionally distressful. This case is being investigated by the state’s Disabled Persons Protection Commission.
Suspected Shoplifter Threatens to Call Police on Driver Parked in a Handicapped Spot
11:43 a.m. Police met with the victim of vandalism, whose car is suspected to have been keyed by a female shoplifting suspect as she left her handicapped parking space outside the Wegmans supermarket on University Avenue.
The Raynham resident reported parking his red, Mini Cooper in a handicapped area outside of Wegmans. His car displayed a handicapped placard. When he returned to his car, he found damage to the car and a note complaining about how he had parked in an area reserved for accessibility for handicapped vans. The note writer threatened that police would be summoned.
Police reviewed video footage of the area and observed a woman in a motorized cart drive around the victim’s car many times, drive away in her car, and then return to write a note while inside her car. A note is then observed on the victim’s car.
Police suspect the same woman of shoplifting wine and cake from Wegmans. She is being charged with shoplifting for the $60 theft and vandalism.
Rental Scam Results in Reports of Stolen Vehicles
5:37 p.m. Westwood Police took reports from several people who all complained of stolen vehicles from what appears to be a scam. The victims told police that they made verbal agreements with someone named “David” who allegedly would operate a car rental business for the victims by renting out their own, purchased cars in Texas.
Three victims all purchased vehicles from a Mercedes-Benz dealership on Providence Highway in Westwood and, as instructed, had the cars shipped to Texas. They believed that "David" would rent the cars and send them proceeds from the rentals. However, the victims had tracking devices which located the cars in Dorchester, not Texas.
Similarly on December 23rd, a couple reported a scam in which they purchased two Mercedes-Benz vehicles and shipped them to Texas to a “David,” who promised to rent out the vehicles and send the couple proceeds from the transaction. They tell police that they have not heard from their alleged business partner since. One vehicle, a 2025 Mercedes-Benz E-350 was purchased from the Westwood Mercedes-Benz dealership at about $80,000. The second vehicle was purchased in Dedham.
Police report at least five different victims of this apparent scam. They are from Taunton, Stoughton, and Brockton.
Police have identified a suspect, who is under investigation.
Vehicle Crashes into Bridge
6:02 p.m. Police responded to a disabled vehicle which police determined was intentionally driven into a bridge near the Washington and Everett Street intersection. The driver, a resident of Norwood, was observed to have a bloody lip. The driver was transported to the hospital.
Lost and Found
7:59 p.m. A resident turned in a portable charging block to police, discovered when the resident was taking a walk on Colburn Street.
Tuesday, December 23rd
Fraudster Hacks into Email to Divert Victim’s Payments to Business Vendor
2:09 p.m. An employee of the McMackin Corporation on Perwal Street reported a suspected larceny. The employee reported receiving an email from a business vendor, requesting that the McMackin employee re-route the vendor’s payment to a different account. The McMackin Corporation subsequently sent two payments totaling about $60,000 to the new account. However, the company was later contacted by the business vendor who claimed not to have received the last two payments.
The McMackin employee noted that the original bank for payment deposit had been located in Texas, and the new account was located in New Jersey. The employee believed someone hacked into the business vendor’s account and impersonated the vendor.
Stealing Meat
3:06 p.m. Police received a report from Wegmans supermarket on University Avenue that a male had concealed meat in his jacket and left the store without paying for the meat and other items. He departed in an Audi Q5. Police have identified the owner of the vehicle and are investigating.
Monday, December 22nd
Caregiver Suspected to Stealing Jewelry
3:45 p.m. Police met with complainant whose mother is a 96-year-old living at Fox Hill Village. The Complainant visits her mother frequently, and started noticing different pieces of jewelry were missing on a number of visits.
On November 25th, she noticed two rings were missing from her mother’s counter – a gold ring with diamond inlay and a ruby and diamond ring. Each ring is estimated to be worth $1,500.
On a later visit, the complainant noticed additional jewelry worth a total of about $1,850 was missing. They were rings made of pearl, lapis, and gold. The complainant replaced the missing jewelry with costume jewelry worth $100.
On a December 2nd visit, the complainant noticed the costume jewelry was missing. The complainant suspects a caregiver may be involved, as the person with the most frequent access to her mother’s belongings. This case is under investigation.
Hit and Run
6:39 p.m. A Walpole resident reported that she was in her Kia Telluride, stopped at the intersection of Clapboardtree and Nahatan streets, when a truck passed in the opposite direction, sideswiping her car. It appears that a loose tire fell away from the truck bed, and scraped the complainant’s car, causing scuff marks and minor damage. No injuries were reported.
Thanks to Lieutenant Michael DiLalla and Westwood Police Department for sharing information for this Westwood Minute article.
