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Image by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell.
1-26-2026 12:55am
Police Log: Swastika Discovered at Thurston Middle School, Shoplifting Arrest, 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.
Sunday, January 18th
Shoplifting Suspect Arrested, Trespassed from All Store Locations in Norfolk County
5:27 p.m. Police were summoned to the Target store on University Avenue for a shoplifting in progress where staff observed a male removing tags from children’s clearance items and attaching them to other merchandise. At the self-checkout register, the suspect scanned items using the incorrect price tag(s). The total loss was estimated to be $96 for three items. The suspect, a 54-year-old man from Quincy, was arrested on two charges for shoplifting by tag tampering and shoplifting by asportation. The man was trespassed from all Target stores in Norfolk County for one year. He was released on personal recognizance.
Saturday, January 17th
Early Morning Dog Walk
1:15 a.m. An investigation into suspicious activity found a vehicle parked on Pond Street, in the Buckmaster Pond parking lot, and the vehicle’s driver walking a dog during the early morning hours.
Suspicious of Unexpected Business
12:37 p.m. A homeowner on Buckmaster Road reported suspicious activity when a male party visited her home and asked to check the batteries on her solar panels. She was not expecting him, and did not believe such a check was necessary. The individual left in a white van.
Tag Tampering
6:43 p.m. At the Target store on University Avenue, store employees reported observing an individual at the self-checkout lane scanning items and using the price tag on a lower price shirt in place of the correct price tag of a more expensive pack of shirts. The total loss is estimated at $17. The 36-year-old suspect from Dedham was trespassed and will be summoned to court for shoplifting by tag tampering, second offense.
Thursday, January 15th
Lock Your Car Doors
11:57 a.m. A resident of Blue Hill Drive reported seeing a suspicious individual walk up the homeowner’s driveway and place hands on the door handles of two parked vehicles. The individual was seen walking away.
Reported Bullying on Bus
6:46 p.m. A parent of a Westwood Public Schools student reported concerns of bullying on the school bus when the child reported that physical antics of other students made it difficult for the child to breathe.
Collision with a Deer
8:36 p.m. A driver reported striking a deer on Summer Street. He told police that as he headed toward Westwood on Summer Street from Needham, a deer ran in front of his car in the area of Far Reach Road. The collision damaged his left, front bumper and headlight, left blood on the car hood, and fur above the wheel.
Wednesday, January 14th
Swastika Discovered at Thurston Middle School
2:00 p.m. Near the end of the school day for Thurston Middle School students, a staff member discovered a swastika drawn in red marker in the eighth-grade girls’ restroom. The image is believed to have been drawn between noon and 2:00 p.m. that day. School administration reported it would investigate who had access to the restroom during that time, and would interview those students.
Thanks to Lieutenant Michael DiLalla and Westwood Police Department for sharing information for this Westwood Minute article.
