Police Log: Wallets Disappear, Destruction of Property in Islington, Locker Theft Again
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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.
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Wallet lifted while unloading groceries
9:58 p.m. Police responded to a report by a shopper at University Station who had her wallet stolen in the Wegmans Parking Lot at University Station. The woman from Dedham told police that she had placed her wallet in her shopping cart while she unloaded groceries into her vehicle, and then discovered it was missing.
A man was passing her vehicle and she asked him about her wallet. He responded that he did not see anything. He then got into a car, and the woman took down his license plate number.
Police traced the license plate to a Canton resident and went to his home to speak to him as a possible witness. However, upon meeting the Canton man, police determined that he did not match the victim’s description of the man whom she said she had seen. His appearance and clothing were different from her description of a six-foot man in a gray hooded sweatshirt. He agreed that he had been in Wegman’s earlier, but he said he did not know anything about the stolen wallet.
Thursday, December 30, 2021
A Lifetime Ban
5:59 a.m. Police officers were dispatched to Life Time Fitness to remove an unwanted party from the premises. The man was known to be from Bronx, New York, with a Life Time Fitness gym membership under the name of Patrick Castilllo.
The officers located the man in the parking lot as he was entering a vehicle. Upon encountering the man, police learned that his actual name was different from his gym membership name. Police advised him he was no longer welcome at the gym and would be considered a trespasser, subject to arrest if he returns.
Another locker room theft
1:07 p.m. A Sharon resident came into the police station to report a theft from his locker at Lifetime Fitness the previous day. He had arrived at the gym around 4:15 p.m. and left a duffel bag in a locker. As he prepared to leave around 6:30 p.m., he discovered the theft of the duffel bag with its contents – clothes, a wallet with credit cards and identification, an Apple watch and charger.
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Two-car accident, no injuries
3:37 p.m. Police responded to a two-car accident at the East Street rotary where a Norwood woman driving a 2018 Honda rear-ended a 2015 Chevy driven by a Westwood woman. The Chevy had slowed while entering the rotary and the Honda was unable to slow down in time to avoid the collision. Both vehicles received minor damage and were able to drive away. Neither driver was injured.
Wallet mysteriously disappears
3:39 p.m. A Westwood resident who was shopping at Wegmans in University Station complained of a missing wallet to police. She was also missing a pair of glasses, which were found by another customer and quickly returned to her.
The shopper admitted to leaving her purse unattended in her shopping cart as she shopped. She discovered her wallet was missing when checking out with her groceries. She noted that the wallet contained $1,000 in cash, credit cards and identification. When police reviewed store security tape, however, they did not see any suspicious activity around her shopping cart.
Lt. Sheehy notes that the Police Department advises that a person should never leave a wallet or purse unattended in a shopping cart. He also notes that wallets should not be left in an unlocked vehicle’s console.
Saturday, January 1, 2022
Vehicle accident at Dunkin'
10:40 a.m. A 2019 Mercedes driven by a man from Westwood was preparing to make a left turn out of the Dunkin' parking lot on Washington Street when it was struck by a 2017 Ford driven by a man from Danbury, Connecticut.
The Danbury man was making a right turn from the northbound lane of Washington Street, but the turn was too wide and struck the Mercedes.
The vehicles received moderate damage and were able to be driven away. There were no injuries.
Fed up with Fido
12:37 a.m. A caller complained that dogs had been barking outside a home on Canton Terrace for approximately 20 minutes in the early morning. Police went to the residence where the dogs were located and knocked on the door for the owner. The resident agreed to take the dogs inside for the night.
Long-term leave?
6:33 a.m. Officers were dispatched for a report of a verbal argument between a man and woman at Gables Apartments. The two were a couple in a long-term relationship, and the argument was verbal, not physical. The woman agreed to leave the apartment, which was leased by her boyfriend, in order to diffuse the situation.
Monday, January 3, 2022
Destruction of property at Islington's new condominiums
7:31 a.m. Police investigated damage to eight new condominium units under construction on the upper level of a building at 288 Washington Street, in what appears to be a case of breaking and entering and vandalism.
Lights were broken in five of the condominium units, and toilets were smashed in two of those units. An additional two units also had toilets broken. One additional unit had broken lights, a broken toilet and had additionally been sprayed with substance from a spray can.
No damage to the commercial spaces on the lower level were detailed in the initial police report. Further details are expected to be forthcoming.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.