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12-21-2021 9:03pm
Police Log: Vandal Defaces Historic Fisher School, Middle School Safety, Catching a Hit-and-Run Driver and More
Darlene Cancell
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Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
The news described in Westwood Minute's Police Log article is primarily based on selected information from the Westwood Police Department's daily log and information provided by Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and police staff. Occasionally, a few facts from other sources may be woven into these stories.
Monday, December 13, 2021
Wrong way to merge
8:00 a.m. A 2021 Mazda and a 2019 Cadillac were both headed south on Route 1/Providence Highway with the Cadillac in the left lane and the Mazda in the right lane. The Cadillac was driven by a man from Cambridge who attempted to merge to the right. He struck the Mazda, which was driven by a man from Walpole.
Both vehicles went over an island in front of the commercial building at 335 Providence Highway where AAA and Country Ski & Sport are located. The vehicles came to rest in the parking lot.
The driver of the Cadillac had a cut on his hand and was given first aid by the police officer. He declined a visit to the hospital. Both vehicles were towed.
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Finding no credible threat of violence at Thurston Middle School
On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, Westwood Police investigated a concern reported by a student that over a month ago, another student at Thurston Middle School made comments regarding threatening acts of violence. Lt. Sheehy notes that after investigating, Westwood Police have concurred with the assessment of the principal of Thurston Middle School that there was no credible threat to the middle school. Additional details on this story are being reported separately by Westwood Minute here.
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Driving with a suspended license and open container
5:02 p.m. A police officer conducting stationary traffic enforcement on East Street, near the railroad bridge, investigated the license plate of a passing car and discovered that the owner had a suspended license.
The officer conducted a traffic stop and learned that the driver was the owner. While arranging for a tow of the car, an open container of alcohol was discovered in the console.
The driver, a 27 year-old man from Somerville, was arrested and transported to the police station. He was issued a citation for operating a vehicle with a suspended license and driving with an open container of alcohol.
Fraudulent use of debit card
5:42 p.m. A resident of High Street reported fraudulent use of a debit card. The resident was notified by the resident’s bank two days earlier of the fraudulent activity.
There were four unfamiliar transactions on the checking account. Purchases were made at New Balance, DoorDash, Magical Child and QuillBot. The transactions totaled $360.
The resident noted that the charges appeared to have occurred following a purchase made on Zoom.us. The resident was filing a police report as requested by the bank as a step towards being reimbursed for the charges.
Thursday, December 16, 2021
Clean up after your pooch
1:31 p.m. A resident of Oriole Road complained that someone was not cleaning up after dogs on the resident's private property and on the street. Police notified the offending party and directed him to clean up. A citation will also be sent to him.
Complaint about unleashed dogs
1:32 p.m. Police received a complaint that a dog walker was unable to control his charges while walking within Lowell Woods near Sandy Valley Road. Police have reached out to the complainant but have not yet heard back.
Catching a hit-and-run driver
8:42 p.m. A police officer on patrol received a broadcast from Westwood Police Department relaying that Dedham Police were looking for a Toyota Camry that had fled after hitting two cars on Route 1 southbound in Dedham.
Four minutes later, the Westwood officer was dispatched to a disabled Toyota Camry with its horn sounding in the area of Washington and Fairview streets. There were three men standing outside the vehicle – a witness and the car’s two occupants. The Camry had significant damage that appeared fresh. It was missing the front driver-side tire.
The witness was able to identify which man was the driver, a 36 year-old from Foxborough, who appeared intoxicated. The passenger also appeared intoxicated.
Westwood Police contacted Dedham Police to allow them to review the vehicle as part of Dedham’s hit and run investigation. Based upon the evidence that was gathered, Westwood police arrested the Foxborough man for operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor and operating a vehicle on a suspended driver’s license. He was transported to Westwood Police Station. Dedham Police also arrived at the station to issue the Foxborough man a citation for leaving the scene of an accident in Dedham. Bail was set at $240.
The passenger was transported to Beth Israel in Needham. Injuries were not specified.
Friday, December 17, 2021
No construction noise allowed before 7:00 a.m.
7:01 a.m. Contractors working on an extensive house remodel on Gay Street near Deerfield Street were operating heavy machinery around 6:30 a.m., a violation of the town’s noise bylaw. Operation of electrically powered construction equipment is not allowed before 7:00 a.m. Police responded to the noise complaint, spoke to the contractors, and advised them to cease operations until 7:00 a.m.
Historic Fisher School vandalized
10:10 a.m. An officer conducting a property check at the historic Fisher School building at 830 High Street discovered vandalism to the structure. Someone had drawn markings in the shape of genitalia and added the initials, “J.R.” The markings were scraped onto the building’s concrete foundation and appeared to have been made by an object such as a rock. The vandalism likely occurred overnight, as a property check by the same officer on the previous day found nothing amiss.
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Was it stolen or is he just forgetful?
4:08 p.m. An eighteen-foot tall Christmas tree, worth $250, was reported to be stolen from the Bean Farm Christmas tree lot on Clapboardtree Street. The tree had been the subject of negotiation between the seller and a potential buyer. Subsequent to that negotiation, it had disappeared from the lot. A witness saw a person load the tree into a pickup truck that matched the description of the vehicle of the prospective buyer, a man from Dedham. Police contacted the prospective buyer who indicated that he had forgotten to leave money for the tree. The situation was rectified with payment being made.
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Vehicle break-ins during mass
11:12 a.m. A Westwood resident walked-in to the police station to report that her car had just been broken into while attending the 10:00 a.m. mass at St. Margaret Mary’s Parish that same day. She had parked her car in the church’s rear parking lot. Upon exiting the church, she found the front passenger window was broken and a purse she left in the vehicle had been stolen. Inside the purse was a wristlet, identification, credit cards and an iPhone.
The woman was able to use her Apple watch to track her missing iPhone. The iPhone’s last known location was on Hyde Park Avenue in Hyde Park. Boston Police were contacted, and they requested that the woman come to the Boston Precinct and they would visit the Hyde Park address.
Later that day, however, the iPhone was reported to be in Providence, Rhode Island, at 801 Elmwood Avenue, the location of an AutoZone store.
This case is still open. Police have also become aware that a car was broken into St. Luke’s church in Dedham while the owner was at mass. In that case, nothing appears to have been taken.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.
