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6-22-2022 11:02pm
Police Log: Blackmailing a Juvenile on Snapchat, Mailbox Fishing, Unexplained Injuries
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, June 13, 2022
One thing leads to another
6:57 p.m. An officer was patrolling the area of Westwood Glen Road when the officer saw a white Honda Accord turn, without signaling, onto Westwood Glen Road. The officer conducted a traffic stop, and learned from police dispatch that the vehicle’s owner had a warrant for his arrest from Worcester District Court. He had failed to appear on charges of operating an uninsured vehicle and driving with a suspended license.
The officer learned that the driver of the vehicle was also the owner, and arrested him. The 28 year-old from Providence, Rhode Island was released later that night on bail that was set at personal recognizance.
Unleashed dog inside Wegmans
7:03 p.m. A Wegmans employee reported being threatened by a customer and his dog. The employee reported that a man had brought an unleashed dog into the store, which was frightening other customers. After she requested that the man place a leash on his dog and leave the store, the man told her he would place the dog in his vehicle and return to do his shopping. The employee reported that upon informing him to come back another day, the man told the dog, “Get her, get her!” The dog did not react. Police reviewed video of the incident and determined that the dog was not aggressive at any time.
Family feud
10:03 p.m. A man residing on Hillview Road complained to police that a female family member had accessed his phone and transferred $100 to themselves via the payment app, Venmo. Police advised the man that in the future, he should not allow the family member to access to his phone.
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Taking tires
2:34 p.m. Police were dispatched on a report of tire theft from the area of three car dealerships, including Prime Acura, on Providence Highway. The previous week, an individual was seen removing tires from a central storage area that is shared by the three dealerships for placing used tires for disposal. Although the man was advised that the tires are neither free nor for sale, he left with two of them. On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, Prime Acura reported that someone – believed to be the same individual - took two more tires. The company indicated it will contact police again if anyone is seen in that area.
Mailbox fishing for checks
3:06 p.m. A resident of Easton who works for a Westwood business reported a possible stolen check to Westwood Police. The woman told police that her company sent a check for thousands of dollars, dated May 9, 2022, to a vendor for services provided.
On May 20, she was contacted by the fraud department of Santander Bank, regarding an attempt to cash the check. An individual was attempting to cash the check who had no association with the vendor to whom the check was made out.
The complainant contacted her company’s vendor, and learned that the vendor never received the check. Santander Bank cancelled the check, and its fraud investigator requested that she file a police report. Police believe that the check was most likely fished from a Needham mail delivery box and notified the complainant that she should inform Needham Police.
Thursday June 16, 2022
Rear-end collisions
6:24 p.m. Two vehicles were involved in a rear-end collision in the area of 472 East Street when a 2016 Toyota, driven by a man from Allston, rear-ended a 2018 Toyota driven by a female from Hyde Park. The front and side airbags deployed on the trailing vehicle. Both vehicles required towing. The female operator of the lead vehicle was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Needham for a possible injury.
7:22 p.m. Three vehicles were involved in a chain reaction accident. A 2014 Nissan, a 2016 Toyota and a 2020 Jeep were all traveling west on High Street, with the Nissan at the head of the line, the Toyota in the middle, and the Jeep at the back. The operator of the Jeep, a woman from Walpole, reported to police that she looked down briefly and then looked up to see brake lights activated on the Toyota in front of her. Her Jeep struck the Toyota’s rear, pushing it into the rear of the Nissan. The driver of Toyota, along with his three male passengers, requested transportation to the hospital for possible injuries. The occupants of the other two vehicles, which included children, were uninjured.
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Friday June 17, 2022
Shopping with a firearm
12:33 p.m. Police spoke to Wegmans security about an incident in which a customer dropped a holstered firearm on the floor while shopping. The shopper, a man from Boston, cooperated with police. Police determined that he was properly licensed to carry the pistol.
Blackmailing a juvenile on Snapchat
8:07 p.m. A young man walked into the police station to report receiving a blackmail request via Snapchat. An individual requested that the juvenile send the individual some gift cards. Failure to do so would supposedly result in the release of embarrassing photos. The young man indicated to police that no such photos exist. Police determined that the phone number attached to the Snapchat account belong to a man in Henderson, Tennessee. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. No gift cards were purchased in response to the Snapchat request. Police advised the juvenile to block his number.
OUI arrest and booking interrupted when driver falls ill
11:50 p.m. Police responded to the area of Roche Bros. on Washington Street on the report of a disabled vehicle with a flat tire. An officer observed a grey Nissan Pathfinder with damage to its front right, and skid marks on the road. The vehicle appeared to have skid across the road before striking its right front wheel against the curb.
As the officer approached the Pathfinder, he heard the vehicle rev. The officer requested that the operator shut off the vehicle’s motor, which the driver did. In conversing with the driver, the officer determined that the driver was intoxicated and arrested him for operating under the influence of liquor.
During booking at the police station, the driver, who was a 26 year-old from Boston, became ill. Around 1:00 a.m., he was transported to Beth Israel Needham by Westwood Fire Paramedics with a police officer accompanying him in the ambulance. At 2:25 a.m., he left the hospital and returned to the police station to complete booking.
Police issued the Boston man a citation for operating a motor vehicle under the influence, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and a marked lanes violation. He was released on bail at 5:00 a.m.
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Another OUI
1:41 a.m. An officer was dispatched to High Street and Blueberry Lane on the report of an intoxicated driver of a vehicle. The license plate number that was provided was registered to a 2004 Honda Accord. Police located the vehicle and followed it, while observing behavior that aroused a suspicion of intoxication.
The officer stopped the driver, a 21 year-old man from Avon, and performed field sobriety tests. Police formed the opinion that the driver was intoxicated and performed an arrest. The man was cited for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and a marked lanes violation. Bail was set at personal recognizance.
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Unexplained injuries
3:53 p.m. Police met with a Westwood resident at the police station to take a report of unexplained injuries that she suffered in the parking lot of Life Time Fitness, which required her to be taken to the hospital. Her injuries appear to police to be possibly consistent with being struck by a vehicle. She requested police assistance in obtaining parking lot surveillance video from Life Time Fitness to assist her in determining what had happened.
Monday June 20, 2022
Possible medication scam
3:56 p.m. Police met a Dover resident at Walgreens on High Street to take a report of suspicious activity and a possible medication scam. The Dover resident told police that an employee of Walgreens had contacted her with the information that another individual was attempting to pick up her medication. The Dover resident did not believe she had authorized any such pick-up.
The officer spoke with the Walgreens employee. He stated that a woman in her 40s or 50s, with short, dark hair and wearing a long-sleeved, red shirt told him that she had a DoorDash order to pick-up medication, authorized by the Dover resident. The woman spoke in a Spanish accent, gave the employee an order number, and told the employee she was unsure what the medication was. The employee called the Dover resident who informed him that no one was authorized to pick up her mediations.
Police spoke on the phone with a “Rose” who appeared to be connected with customer support from DoorDash. Police noticed no caller identification on the call and asked Rose to call back. Whispering was heard in the background of the call. The call was disconnected.
The officer initiated contact with DoorDash. He was informed that a supervisor would get back to him.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.
