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Image by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell.
9-12-2026 12:18am
Police Log: Possible Rental Scam, Increased Coyote Sightings, Driver Accused of Intentionally Hitting Raccoons
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 Detective Lieutenant Christopher Aylward and police staff to Westwood Minute through written records and conversations. Occasionally, Westwood Minute may incorporate facts that it obtains from other sources into these stories.
Monday, August 24
Hit-And-Run Damages Parked Mercedes
3:04 p.m. Police received a report of a hit-and-run involving a parked vehicle outside the Life Time fitness center on Harvard Street. The owner of a 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 500 reported leaving the gym and finding several deep scratches on the front passenger side bumper. Police note that the scratches appear to be caused by contact with another car’s bumper that may have scraped against the Mercedes.
Sunday, August 23
Assisting State Police in Stolen Vehicle Chase
1:50 a.m. Westwood Police responded to a call for mutual aid from Massachusetts State Police, who were pursuing a grey Dodge Durango, believed to have been stolen in Brockton. The vehicle was thought to have exited Interstate 95 onto Route 109 in Westwood. Westwood Police checked the area but did not find any vehicle matching the description.
Resident Reports $4,500 Rental Scam
12:31 p.m. A resident of School Street complained to police that after spending $4,500 on a rental unit Jamestown, Rhode Island for her son, she attempted to confirm a moving date with the landlord, but her email was returned as undeliverable. She contacted police, who informed her that the address of the rental unit had been used in multiple past scams.
Wallet Disappears from Store Dressing Room
1:37 p.m. A customer shopping at Frugal Fannie’s on Wilson Way reported leaving a wallet in the dressing room and returning about three hours later to find it missing. The wallet contained her identification and bank cards.
Pair of Suspects Face Shoplifting Charges
4:53 p.m. Loss prevention staff at the Target store on University Avenue reportedly stopped a 23-year-old male resident of Taunton from walking out of the store with unpaid personal care items and household goods valued at $321. He initially gave authorities false identification, information but was later identified.
While police were in the store office with the suspect, his female companion attempted to walk out of the store with unpaid personal care and household items valued at $480. She refused identify herself and was arrested. The 25 -year-old Brockton resident and her companion were each separately charged with shoplifting over $250.
Driver Accused of Intentionally Hitting Raccoons
9:39 p.m. A Westwood resident reported what he perceived to be an intentional hit-and-run involving a BMW SUV and wild animals in the road. The caller told police that he stopped his car to let the raccoons pass in front of him on Pond Street near Martingale Lane, when the car behind him honked, drove around him, and hit the racoons. The BMW, registered to a Westwood resident, drove away. Police determined that dashcam footage was inconclusive. The case was referred to the animal control officer.
Saturday, August 22
Resident Receives Someone Else’s Fake ID
11:06 a.m. A resident of Thatcher Street reported receiving a UPS package at his home, which contained a Massachusetts identification displaying another person’s name and date of birth. Police determined that another person had ordered a fake ID and had shipped it to the resident’s home.
Abandoned Bicycles on Pond Street
11:34 a.m. A caller reported that two bicycles had been chained to a pole on Pond Street, between Oak Street and Pond Plain Road, for a number of days. The caller was concerned for the well-being of the bicycle owners. The caller informed police that they would call again if the bikes remained chained to the pole in a few days.
Resident May Have Been Targeted in Phishing Scam
1:41 p.m. A resident of Highland Glen Road reported receiving more than 30 messages from various email addresses that contained information regarding cryptocurrency purchases. The resident also reported receiving a phone call from someone who claimed to be from her bank, and who asked her for personal information. The resident hung up without providing the information. The resident has not reported losing any money. Police believe that the emails may be reporting fake purchases, and may be designed to entice the resident to interact with the messages or sender.
Friday, August 21
Stolen Credit Card Used to Book Hotel Rooms
3:24 p.m. A resident of Florida told police that an unauthorized person had used the complainant’s credit card to secure two hotel rooms – one at the Courtyard Marriott in Westwood and one at Residence Inn in Needham. Police investigated and identified the suspect as a 25 year-old Boston resident. He was charged with fraud under $1,200.
Couple Reports Multiple Credit Accounts Opened in Their Names
6:31 p.m. A couple residing on Hartford Street reported receiving mail over the last two months informing them about credit card accounts being opened in their names. They informed police that they did not apply for the accounts. They received mail related to three different Home Depot credit accounts and three different Lowe’s credit accounts. One statement indicated that $9,000 had been charged by on a Home Depot account.
Police Tow Suspected Shoplifters’ Car
8:40 p.m. Police responded to the Target store on University Avenue where store staff pointed out a vehicle belonging to two females who staff reportedly had observed in the act of shoplifting. The car had a license plate attached to it that did not belong to it. While the suspects were in the store, police had the vehicle towed.
A short time later, the suspects were observed paying for milk and cereal but leaving the store without paying for clothing and electronics. Police stopped the suspects, recovering $457 in merchandise from one, and $320 in merchandise from the other. The suspects – a 32-year-old from Randolph and a 34-year-old from Bristol, Connecticut - were arrested and charged with shoplifting over $250.
Thursday, August 20
Police Say Shoplifting Suspect Had No Means to Pay
1:04 p.m. Police received a call from the Target store on University Avenue regarding a suspected shoplifter whom security staff reportedly observed removing security tags from two items. The suspect was known to store staff from past incidents. Police approached the suspect and found him with more than $1,000 in merchandise in a shopping cart, and having no means of paying. Police discovered that the suspect, a resident of Stoughton, had removed an electric shaver and pair of video glasses from their packaging and concealed them on his person. He was charged with one count of shoplifting and two counts of unlawful deactivation or removal of a theft protection device.
Increase in Coyote Sightings
1:57 p.m. A resident of Willard Circle reported seeing coyotes walking in the nearby wetlands, woods, and neighborhood. Police referred the call to the animal control officer, who noted that an uptick in such sightings is normal at this time of year. Police note that coyotes have been especially visible in Islington and the Canton Street corridor. Police recommend that residents experiencing heightened coyote sightings remove food sources around their homes, keep pets leashed and supervised, and maintain awareness of their surroundings. As of the end of August, police reported that they had not received reports of any coyote attacks on people or pets this year.
Photo courtesy of Terence Lok. A coyote roams a residential neighborhood in Westwood, MA. Westwood residents have noticed an uptick in coyote activity, with the usually shy animals being seen more often in the daytime hours and in residential neighborhoods and yards.Wednesday, August 19
Confused Driver Transported to Hospital for Evaluation
10:04 p.m. A caller reported a suspicious vehicle parked in the middle of the road on Walper Street, near Ira Mazda on Providence Highway. The black Volkswagen Jetta had its door open, and a male was seen stumbling around the vehicle. Police arrived and spoke to the individual who told police that he was trying to get into his car. Police note that the car had a flat front tire. When police asked whether the car in the middle of the street belonged to him, the man seemed confused. He told police that he had driven from his home in Plymouth to the Mazda dealership. Police contacted paramedics to transport the man to a hospital for an evaluation.
Teens Leave as Police Arrive
10:11 p.m. A resident of Harwich Circle complained to police that a large group of teenagers were outside the resident’s home and were refusing to leave. The teens were described as friends of the resident’s child. They left just as police were arriving.
Tuesday, August 18
Caller Reports Man Making Animal Noises
9:23 p.m. A caller reported that a man dressed in black was making animal noises on Clapboardtree Street. Police located an individual matching the description. He was waiting at a bus stop and did not appear to be causing any trouble.
Thanks to Detective Lieutenant Christopher Aylward and Westwood Police Department for sharing information for this Westwood Minute article.
