32° and Sunny
Image
Image by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell.
2-02-2026 12:39am
Police Log: Hit-and-Run after Sign Collision, Dog Abandoned at Fire Station, 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 25th
Hit and Run after Collision with Sign
2:15 p.m. Police received a report from a caller who observed a car crashing into a sign pole at Nahatan Street. Police responded and found the downed pole, but the vehicle at fault was no longer present.
Saturday, January 24th
Failure to Deliver
9:21 a.m. A resident of Weatherbee Drive reported a theft of $250 through a Venmo transaction when she attempted to purchase a cord of firewood from a Facebook Marketplace vendor named “Robert Snow,” but never received the delivery.
Dog Abandoned at Fire Station
12:43 p.m. An officer entered the Westwood Fire Station on Washington Street, and observed a small, black dog in a corner with a leash and a blanket. Upon inquiry, the officer learned that fire station staff were not aware of the animal being there. Video footage showed a male individual leaving the dog at the location around 8:50 a.m. that day. A firefighter provided temporary care for the dog, which staff named Rocko. The dog was turned over to the Animal Rescue League.
Argument Over Vehicle Sideswipe Becomes Case of Possible Assault and Battery
3:00 p.m. Police received a report of a vehicle sideswiping another vehicle on Providence Highway. The complainant, a Dedham resident, told police that the other driver thought that he was “taking too long” and tried to go around the complainant’s car, sideswiping it and showing him a raised middle finger. The complainant reported that the two drivers got into a dispute that included a physical altercation.
Police contacted the other driver, a Norwood resident, at his address. The Norwood resident told police that he pulled around the complainant’s car because the complainant’s car was stopped eight feet from the exit onto Providence Highway, and the Norwood resident was unsure what the complainant intended to do. The Norwood resident alleged that as he passed the complainant’s car, the complainant’s car sideswiped him. He informed police that the complainant attempted to prevent him from leaving the scene, slamming the car door on his right arm. Police advised the Norwood resident that he may consider filing charges for assault and battery.
Friday, January 23rd
ICE Demonstrators Report Harassment
8:56 a.m. Police received a report of harassment from demonstrators on High Street who reported that while protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a truck driver told the demonstrators to watch out for him. Police responded and told the truck driver to leave the area.
Injuries in Two-Vehicle Collision
12:04 p.m. Police responded to the area of the University Avenue and Canton Street intersection where they found Canton Police already at the scene of a collision between a Chevrolet Traverse and a Ford Transit van, and airbags deployed in both cars.
A person was extricated from the Traverse. Some of the vehicles’ occupants reported being injured. All declined transportation to the hospital. Both vehicles were towed.
Police issued a citation for failing to yield to the driver of the Traverse, a resident of Dedham.
One Thing Leads to Another
4:54 p.m. Police were summoned to the Target store on University Avenue where asset protection staff at the store told police that a female suspect had concealed clothing and makeup in a large bag, and was suspected of stealing items worth $324. The female, a 28-year-old from Dedham, was accompanied by a male who police discovered had a warrant for his arrest from Brockton District Court for motor vehicle charges. The male, a resident of Norwood, was arrested and later released on bail of $500.
Running Man Suspected of Shoplifting
5:25 p.m. An officer observed a male sprinting out of the Nordstrom Rack store on University Avenue, and heading to a black SUV. The officer pursued the vehicle, which was being operated in a reckless manner, but lost sight of it when it exited the plaza. The officer spoke to staff at Nordstrom Rack who reported that the fleeing individual had stolen clothing. The individual is described as having a goatee and wearing grey clothing.
Thursday, January 22nd
Fraud on Credit Card
2:47 p.m. A resident of Longmeadow Drive reported a fraudulent credit card purchase on January 20th of sunglasses in the amount of $495. The sunglasses were shipped to Manchester, New Hampshire. The resident noted that the fraudster had obtained the resident’s name, email, and phone number in order to make the purchases.
Wednesday, January 21st
Disturbance from Family Dispute
7:46 p.m. Police responded to the parking lot of 321 Washington Street where a male and female were yelling at each other. They were part of a group of family members and a boyfriend, one of whom was a Westwood resident. The argument was a dispute over the treatment of one or more of the individuals. Police mediated and quieted the disturbance.
Tuesday, January 20th
Injury from Car Door Opening
2:12 p.m. Police received a complaint from a Norwood resident who reported an injury after being hit by a car door on the afternoon of January 11. She told police that she was on her way into a store on Providence Highway when a man parked in a handicapped space and opened his car door into her arm. She reported that the man said, “Sorry, I’m on drugs.” She did not think it was intentional, but took photos of her injured arm and of the man’s car – a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. She showed police bruising on her arm that she said was due to the incident, which she wished to document.
Monday, January 19th
Resident Reveals Personal Details in Possible Phishing Scam
10:09 a.m. Residents of Windmill Lane reported a possible scam upon being contacted by an alleged representative of American Express who told the residents that one of their credit cards had been used to purchase a gun. The resident was then transferred to someone who identified himself as a San Francisco Police officer.
Following those contacts, the resident told Westwood Police that she was contacted by unknown people online who told her she was being watched for money laundering. The resident provided the contacts with her identification and passport, and details of her life, although she did not provide any financial information or her social security number. No money has been reported missing.
Vandalism on Carroll Avenue
4:45 p.m. A resident of Carroll Avenue reported vandalism to a 2012 black Toyota Camry. It had been parked in the resident’s driveway since January 16. On January 19, the resident noticed the front grille had been pushed in and broken.
Thanks to Lieutenant Michael DiLalla and Westwood Police Department for sharing information for this Westwood Minute article.
