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1-20-2026 12:51am
Police Log: Needham Woman Called “Number One Shoplifter," Juvenile Suspected of Assault, and Other Incidents
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, January 12th
Fraudulent Use of Credit Card
1:18 p.m. Police received a report from an individual who told them that her vehicle had been broken into in Randolph, and a credit card was stolen and later used at the Target store in Westwood. Over $200 in purchases were made.
Sunday, January 11th
Irate Customer is Trespassed
4:25 p.m. An employee of MiniLuxe on University Avenue reported a customer causing a disturbance due to a missed appointment. The customer reportedly was yelling and screaming, demanding a refund after she had been charged for a missed appointment. An employee reportedly asked her to return on Tuesday to speak with the manager, but the customer demanded an immediate refund. The customer, a woman in her 40s from Cambridge, was verbally trespassed from the store.
Saturday, January 10th
Breaking and Entering of Vehicle on Nahatan Street
2:25 a.m. A resident of Nahatan Street reported a breaking and entering into the resident’s vehicle. The resident received an alert about activity in the garage in the early morning. The resident told police that he observed that the driver’s side door of his 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe was open and that his sunglasses, worth $220, were missing.
Friday, January 9th
Juvenile Shoplifting Suspect Reportedly Punches Store Employee
7:33 p.m. Police responded to the Target store on University Avenue where an employee reported being assaulted after confronting a female suspected of shoplifting.
The employee reported that after bringing the juvenile suspect to the store office to sign a notice of trespass and admission of guilt, the employee held open the office door for the juvenile to exit. The employee stated that the juvenile punched her in the face, so the employee put up her arms in self-defense. The two were separated by another employee and the juvenile’s father.
After the juvenile and her father left the store and entered their grey, Toyota Prius, they were stopped by police in the parking lot, for a brief conversation before being sent on their way.
An officer remained at the store, reviewing video that showed the juvenile putting store merchandise in her jacket pocket and attempting to walk out of the store with a Stanley tumbler valued at $40 and false eyelashes valued at $12. Police charged the Hyde Park juvenile with shoplifting and assault and battery.
Wednesday, January 7th
Suspicious Behavior in Library Parking Lot
5:28 p.m. Police received a report of an individual acting suspiciously outside the Westwood Public Library on High Street. Library staff informed police that a patron noticed a tall man with holes in his jeans, estimated to be in his 20s, who was walking in the parking lot talking to himself or on a phone. He was observed looking into the car window of the library patron’s car, and the window of the car next to hers. Police reviewed video of the area during the incident and identified three vehicles that may be related to the suspicious activity. The vehicles are registered to residents of Marlborough, Braintree, and a rental car company. Nothing was reported stolen or damage.
Tuesday, January 6th
Fleeing Shoplifting Suspects are Apprehended
7:07 a.m. Police responded to the CVS store on Washington Street where store employees reported witnessing a male and female shoplifting by concealing merchandise. Upon being confronted, the suspects fled. Police located them nearby, on Pond Lane. The female, a resident of Boston, was discovered to already have a warrant for her arrest and was taken into police custody. The male, a resident of Norwood, was discovered to have stolen $258 in merchandise that included creatine powder. Both are being charged with shoplifting.
Monday, January 5th
Unexpected Conversation Leads to Complaint of Attempted Human Trafficking
4:37 p.m. A young female reported suspicious activity in the Marshalls store on University Avenue. She told police that while shopping there, a female stranger approached her and told the complainant that the stranger’s church is looking for new members. The complainant told police she was aware that a similar introductory line of conversation is used by human traffickers which can lead to a kidnapping. The complainant immediately left to report the incident to police.
Sunday, January 4th
Store Calls a Needham Woman the “Number One Shoplifter”
2:52 p.m. Police met with an employee of the Target store on University Avenue who reported a shoplifting incident by a suspect who store staff called, the “number one shoplifter in the district.” The suspect, a Needham resident in her 60s, reportedly walked out of the store on this occasion with $96 of unpaid merchandise. Police arrested the suspect on the single shoplifting charge. Store staff are cooperating to help police detectives build a case for additional shoplifting charges. The suspect was released on personal recognizance.
Saturday, January 3rd
Suspicious Stranger Knows Too Much
10:37 a.m. A resident of Colby Way, who had previously reported a suspected attempt at a home break-in on November 28, 2025, informed police of a suspicious encounter from the previous night. The resident told police that a stranger unexpectedly rang the doorbell at an unusual hour of night. The resident noticed he was wearing a lanyard, presumably with identification, but it was unreadable. While the resident spoke to the individual, she noticed a dark sedan parked in the street behind him and in front of the house.
The suspect reportedly told the resident that he was a project manager for the neighborhood and asked if she had seen the company’s white trucks around.
The resident felt the interaction was suspicious and excused herself. She was particularly suspicious because the stranger knew the Chinese names of the residents in the household. The resident informed police that she does not use her Chinese name, but goes by her American name. Police informed the resident that they will conduct extra checks in her neighborhood.
3:58 p.m. Residents of a house on Alder Road reported a suspected attempt at larceny. The residents told police that after attempting to sell an item on Facebook, they were contacted by an individual who alleged to be a representative from the online payment processor, Zelle. The individual claimed that Zelle had mistakenly deposited money in the residents’ account and instructed the residents on how to return the money to Zelle. Upon suspecting a scam, the residents reported the incident to police.
Friday, January 2nd
Drone Unit Assists a High-Risk Situation
2:13 p.m. Westwood Police assisted Attleboro Police in a request for mutual aid in executing a “high-risk” search warrant. The Westwood Police drone unit was deployed, providing video while Metro-LEC cleared the area.
Harassment That Goes Both Ways
8:27 p.m. Police received a complaint of a disturbance on Highland Glen Road, where a resident reported being harassed. The resident was walking her dog, attempting to cross the road when a white vehicle appeared, reportedly speeding. The resident used a hand signal to tell the driver to slow down. The driver reportedly got out of the car to berate the walker, and reportedly uttered an expletive and threatened to “kill” the complainant. Police spoke with the reported aggressor, who told police that the complainant has been the harasser in the past, and has told her family to “go back” to their country. Police advised both parties to avoid each other and to call police if they encounter one another again.
Wednesday, December 31st
Suspect Risks Charge of Trespass for Lobster and Steak
1:10 p.m. Police responded to Wegmans supermarket on University Avenue where a shoplifting suspect was being detained. Store employees informed police that the suspect, a woman in her 50s from Dedham, had been trespassed from the store in July 2025. In the present incident, she reportedly stole lobster meat and three sirloin steaks for a total of about $130 in merchandise. Police arrested the woman for shoplifting and trespassing.
Thanks to Lieutenant Michael DiLalla and Westwood Police Department for sharing information for this Westwood Minute article.
