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5-31-2022 11:58pm
Police Log: Missing Person Found, Witness Intimidation and Assault and Battery at Wegmans
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, May 23rd
Thief keeps Westwood sweatshirt, dumps cell phones
10:29 a.m. Two women reported having their sweatshirts and cell phones stolen while exercising at the Westwood High School track. They had hung their clothing on a nearby fence, leaving their cell phones in the sweatshirt pockets. After exercising, the women returned to the spot where they had left their belongings. The items were no longer there.
One of the ladies returned home and activated the iPhone tracking feature, which notified her that her phone was located in the Westwood Recreation Department (Westwood Rec) office. The two women met an officer at the Westwood Rec office. They learned from a Westwood Rec employee that a passerby had turned in both phones to the office. Apparently, the phones were found outside the lobby to the swimming pool, on the grass.
The sweatshirts - a black sweatshirt with the word, “Westwood,” on the front, along with a light brown sweatshirt with pink writing - are still missing.
Guest takes host’s debit card
5:31 p.m. A 69 year-old man residing at Westwood Glen complained to police that his 24 year-old male guest who is homeless and staying with the senior, had taken the senior’s debit card and made purchases totaling about $109. The purchases were made at various locations such as gas stations and convenience stores in Westwood and Norwood. Police contacted the individual. The young man explained that he had taken his host’s debit card by accident and would just need some time to reimburse the money.
Tuesday, May 24th
Witness intimidation and assault and battery at Wegmans
2:38 p.m. Westwood Police were dispatched to locate a vehicle with a suspect who was leaving the scene of a reported assault and battery at Wegmans. Police did not find the suspect, but spoke to the victim.
An officer spoke to an asset protection staff member for Wegmans who had a bleeding left arm and forehead injury, reportedly resulting from a female customer’s attack on him. The woman had reportedly initially approached Wegmans’s customer service personnel to check for a debit card that she stated had been left behind in the store.
Wegmans customer service personnel did have such a debit card, but explained it could only be handed to the actual cardholder, who was the woman’s husband. A short while later, the woman’s husband arrived, produced identification, and was able to retrieve his debit card.
His wife, however, became verbally abusive. After she was asked to leave the store, she proceeded to pour a container of milk on the floor and broke a bottle of wine on the floor. She also tipped over a plant.
The woman and her husband then began to walk back to their parked car, with the asset protection employee following behind. The asset protection employee took out his cell phone to make a 911 call.
The woman attempted to pull the phone out of the employee’s hand, and punched him in the face. Her punch caused the employee’s eyeglasses to be pushed into his forehead, resulting in a bleeding cut. The asset protection employee also told police that the woman had keys in her hand as she punched him. When he raised his arm to defend himself against the strike, the keys scratched his arm, causing a bleeding wound to his arm.
The woman jumped into her vehicle, a white Honda, and drove away, leaving her husband in the parking lot. Her husband was advised to wait for police, which he did. The Wegmans’s asset protection staff member was treated at the scene. He declined transportation to a hospital.
The perpetrator of the assault has been identified by surveillance video, a Registry of Motor Vehicles photo, and the name she gave Wegmans employees while attempting to retrieve her husband’s debit card. She will be summoned to Dedham District Court for assault and battery on a person 60 years-old or older, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the key), witness intimidation, and malicious destruction of property.
In a subsequent review of camera footage, the woman’s husband was seen driving their white Honda before the incident. Police learned he had a suspended license. Based on the video, the man will receive a summons for operating a motor vehicle after suspension.
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Two-vehicle collision at Nahatan and High streets
5:50 p.m. A two-vehicle accident resulted in a T-bone collision when a 2010 Nissan Infinity attempting to make a turn from Nahatan Street onto High Street struck a 2020 Dodge Ram pickup truck travelling east on High Street. The vehicles collided at the intersection of Nahatan and High streets.
An airbag deployed in the pickup truck. Both drivers received medical attention at the scene from Westwood Fire Paramedics. The drivers, men from Hopkinton and Walpole, each declined transportation to a hospital. Police issued a citation to the Walpole man, the driver of the Infinity, for failing to yield at an intersection.
Wednesday, May 25th
Mediation between landlord and tenant
11:39 a.m. Police mediated a dispute between a landlord and tenants over a parking space at the rental property. The dispute concerned disagreement regarding moving the car at different times of the day.
Shoplifters caught at Frugal Frannie’s
12:43 p.m. Police responded to a report of shoplifting at Frugal Fannie’s on Wilson Way. A manager observed two teenagers, a female and a male, acting strangely in the store’s shoe department. They were ducking down out of sight to avoid being seen. After the two left the shoe department, the manager investigated and found boxes for Crocs brand shoes containing mismatched, used shoes. The manager also noticed that the suspicious male appeared to have rolled up merchandise inside a sweatshirt that he had been holding. The teens headed out of the store, bypassing the cashiers.
At this point, the manager yelled, demanding that they return the shoes. The male handed over three pairs of Crocs shoes that he was carrying in the rolled up sweatshirt. A fourth pair was believed to have been taken but was unable to be located.
Upon arrival of police, the 16 year-old girl and 17 year-old boy, both from Dedham, became very vocal. Four officers were required at the scene to bring things under control. The teens were trespassed from the store.
Assisting a missing persons case
10:03 p.m. A Westwood Police detective sergeant responded to a Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council call for assistance. Bellingham Police were searching for a missing 13 year-old boy. The detective sergeant responded to the scene and conducted several interviews, ending his duties around 1:30 a.m. the following morning. On the evening of Thursday, May 26, 2022, the boy was safely located by METRO-LEC officers.
Saturday, May 28th
A prescription drug story
12:05 p.m. A 39 year-old man from Norwood reported stolen medication from his vehicle. He first explained to an officer that his cell phone had been taken from his vehicle when parked in at University Station outside of PetSmart. The man recounted that two PetSmart employees called his phone to help him locate it by its ringing sound; however, he did not find it in his car.
He reported that a man answered the PetSmart employee’s phone call. The PetSmart employee reportedly told the answering man to return the complainant’s phone or the PetSmart’s security cameras would be checked to reveal the thief’s identity.
A little while later, the complainant returned to his car and found his cell phone there. However, he noticed his prescription medicine, which had been stored in the car, was missing. The complainant asked that police create a report so that he could obtain replacement medication.
Police questioned the complainant, who could not remember the names of the PetSmart employees who had assisted him. Police also asked to check the phone for its log of recent calls, but the calls from the PetSmart employees did not appear to be logged. The Norwood man explained that the thief must have deleted the call record. Detectives will be following up, and will be checking with PetSmart for the store’s security camera footage.
Identity fraud
4:46 p.m. A resident of Longmeadow Drive reported a case of possible identity fraud. The resident described receiving correspondence in the mail regarding credit and bank accounts that she had not applied for. One letter from a credit union requested further information in order to process a loan. Another letter notified her that Wells Fargo had declined an attempted deposit due to inability to obtain the identity of the depositor. Police advised the resident to notify her banks and credit card companies and to ask the three major credit reporting companies to place a credit watch on her accounts.
Sunday, May 29th
Illegal and underage, but honest
6:20 p.m. Police conducting stationary traffic enforcement, in the vicinity of High Street and Pond Plain Road, spotted a black, Nissan Altima that was travelling at what appeared to be excessive speed. This was confirmed by radar which showed the vehicle travelling at 48 m.p.h. in a 35 m.p.h. zone.
Police conducted a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, the 20 year-old driver from Westwood opened his glove compartment to find his vehicle registration. The officer noticed bottle of liquor in plain view in the glove compartment. Police inquired if there was any other alcohol in the car. The young driver informed the officer there was, and also marijuana. Several bottles of alcohol were seized from the 20 year-old, along with several ounces of marijuana. The driver showed no sign of intoxication, and was given a speeding ticket.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.
