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2-24-2022 12:09am
Westwood Police Investigation Results in Arrest of Two Suspects in Life Time Fitness Locker Thefts
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Image by mohamed_hassan from Pixabay
On Tuesday, February 22, 2022, Westwood Police arrested a male suspect for involvement in one or more thefts out of lockers at Life Time Fitness, according to Westwood Police Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy.Â
Tuesday's arrest follows the arrest last week on Monday, February 14, 2022, by Westwood Police of Ms. Felicia Andrea Nastase of Weehawken, New Jersey. The 25 year-old woman is charged with conspiracy, for two incidents of credit card theft from lockers at Life Time Fitness, the gym on Harvard Street in Westwood.
It unclear whether Ms. Nastase and this male suspect were working together, if Ms. Nastase was conspiring with a different person, or how police identified these two individuals as suspects. More information will be reported in Westwood Minute as it becomes available.
From May 2021 to date, Westwood Minute has reported on fifteen reported cases of thefts from lockers at Life Time Fitness. The majority of the cases – at least ten- were reported thefts out of the men’s locker room. In four cases, gym goers reported items taken from the women’s locker room. In one case, based on notes, it is unclear which locker room was involved.Â
Thieves are able to exploit a flaw in lockers, not only at Life Time Fitness, but at gyms in the larger local area, according to Lt. Sheehy. He advises gym goers to bring their own locks to use in the locker room, carry their valuables with them, or stow valuables in their vehicles.
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Items reportedly taken from the men’s locker room at Life Time Fitness include credit cards, Rolex watches, an Apple watch and Airpods, and goose down coats.
Items reportedly taken from the Life Time Fitness women’s locker room include credit cards, identification, personal papers, an Apple watch, and rings.
Typically in these thefts, gym visitors have stashed personal belongings in a locked locker, only to return after their workouts to find items missing. When credit cards are taken, there is often a delay in realizing they are missing, because other valuables such as the wallet itself and cash are left behind.
After identifying Ms. Nastase as a suspect, Westwood Police officers drove to New York to transport her to Westwood in the early evening of February 14, 2022. She was being held in New York City at the Riker’s Island jail complex, possibly on a local matter.
During her booking in Westwood, police discovered that there was a warrant out for her arrest in Fairfax County, Virginia, for conspiracy to commit felony credit card fraud. In addition to the charge of two counts of conspiracy to commit larceny, Westwood Police charged Ms. Nastase with being a fugitive from justice.
The bail commissioner ordered Ms. Nastase to be held without bail. She was transported to Dedham District Court on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 where bail was set at $20,000. From there, Ms. Nastase was transported to the South Bay House of Correction in Boston. She will stay there until bail is paid or the case is resolved.
Fairfax County law enforcement in Virginia is expected to undertake extradition proceedings.
The Westwood Police investigation that led to Ms. Nastase’s arrest originated on July 21, 2020. On that date, a man from Stoughton reported that credit cards were stolen from his wallet which was stored inside a locker at Life Time Fitness.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.
