Wellesley Police log: Supermarket assault; the trouble with spray painting your name; cop jumps into car to stop crash

Wellesley Police log for the week of March 22-27:

Arrests

On March 23, 2021 at 8:23 p.m. Officer Harris was dispatched to Roche Bros Supermarket for a report of a male party who had thrown food on an employee.  While responding to the store the Emergency Communications Center notified responding officers that the male party had left the store on foot and was heading towards Starbucks.  Upon arrival Officer Harris observed a male party matching the description provided on the corner of Linden Square.  Officer Harris spoke with the male party who was in an agitated state.  He stated he was in Roche Bros eating some food and charging his cell phone when he was approached by a store employee who told him he had to eat outside.  He stated when the store employee leaned closet to him he, so he hit him.  The male party was acting erratically and speaking very quickly while speaking to Officer Harris.  He went on to say that the employee left and then returned, at which point he threw his food at him because he thought he was going to be attacked by him.  Officer Harris asked the male party for his name and date of birth.  A query of his information showed there was an active warrant for his arrest issued by the Newburyport District Court for Assault and Battery on an individual 60+/disabled with injury.   The man indicated that he is homeless.  He was taken into custody for the warrant.  Officer Harris then spoke with the store employee who stated multiple customers had approached him about the suspect acting strangely in the store and that he was possibly shoplifting.  The employee found man sitting in a corner of the store with no mask on eating some food.  He approached the man and tried to explain to him that he could not be in the store eating food without a mask on due to COVID and he began to yell at him.  Officer Harris asked the store employee what the man said and he indicated he called him a racist name and then punched him in the head.    He then stated that the man threw his food at him and it struck him in the face.  He stated he grabbed a container of fluid and threw it at the man trying to get him to leave the store and the man extended a steel baton and threatened to hit him with hit and then left the store.  The suspect was transported to the Wellesley Police Department where he was booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and held on $750 bail.  He was charged with Assault and Battery, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault and Battery to Intimidate for Race and Disorderly Conduct. (See more in post about Wellesley’s new Freedom Team)

On March 27, 2021 at 11:39 a.m. Officer Mankavech was conducting traffic enforcement on Washington Street when he observed a Mercedes SUV with windows that appeared to have excessive window tint.  He stopped the vehicle and conducted a query of the registration which indicated there was an active default warrant issued by the Dorchester District Court for Assault and Battery for the registered owner of the vehicle.  Officer Mankavech spoke with the operator and confirmed he was the registered owner and took him into custody.  He was transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on $150 bail. 

Incidents

On March 22, 2021 at 10:30 p.m. Officer D. Popovski was dispatched to a residence regarding a male party who was intoxicated and acting rudely to other family members.  Officer Popovski spoke to the male party who apologized and stated he would go to sleep and leave the other family members alone.  The other family members agreed to let the male party stay if he went to sleep for the night and stopped bothering them.

On March 22, 2021 at 10:25 a.m. Officer Mankavech was working a construction detail on Parker Road and temporarily closed the roadway to allow the construction crew to move materials for the work site.   There were construction vehicles blocking the roadway and Officer Mankavech was directing traffic around the road closure.  A Honda sedan approached the worksite and attempted to drive around Officer Mankavech and was headed directly towards one of the construction vehicles.  Officer Mankavech directed the elderly male operator to stop the vehicle, but he ignored Officer Mankavech.   The male driver continued to move towards the construction vehicle while Officer Mankavech began knocking on the driver side window in an attempt to gain the attention of the driver.  The driver opened his door and continued to drive forward.  Officer Mankavech had to jump into the vehicle and place it in park to avoid a collision with the construction vehicle.  When Officer Mankavech exited the vehicle and attempted to talk to the male driver he put the car in reverse and began backing into a nearby driveway.  Officer Mankavech told the driver to stop as there was a car

parked on the road.  The male party continued to back up and struck the vehicle.   Officer Mankavech attempted to talk to the operator and advise him that he would need to file an accident report at which point he became angry and drove away.  Officer Mankavech responded to the driver’s residence and provided him with the appropriate paperwork for the crash report.  Officer Mankavech submitted a Request for Immediate Threat to the Registry of Motor Vehicles as it is appears that the male party cannot safely operate a motor vehicle.

On March 23, 2021 at 9:48 a.m. the Emergency Communications Center notified officers that the Natick Police Department was in pursuit of a vehicle that had been stolen in Medfield.  The Natick Police Department terminated the pursuit prior to reaching the Wellesley town line.  At 9:55 a.m. Officer Cunningham broadcast that the stolen vehicle was traveling Route 9 eastbound.  Officer J.  Popvoski observed the vehicle pass her location on Route 9 and observed the driver and passenger look in her direction at which point she activated her emergency lights and attempted to stop the vehicle.  The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed.  The vehicle proceeded through a red light at the intersection of Oakland Street and continued eastbound.  The vehicle continued without stopping and exited Route 9 onto Route 128 North.  Later in the day Officer J. Popovski learned that the stolen motor vehicle was located in a parking lot in Watertown.  The incident is under investigation.   

On March 23, 2021 at 3:08 p.m. Officer Hughes spoke with a male party that stated on Friday, March 19^th his bike was stolen from the bike rack at Wellesley High School.  He stated he placed the bike there at 1:15 p.m.  and when he returned at 6:30 p.m. the bike was no longer there.  He stated he had not locked the bike.  He described it as a red Trek mountain bike.  There are no suspects.

On March 24, 2021 at 4:31 p.m. Officer Harris was dispatched to Fire Headquarters for a report of a female party causing a disturbance.  Prior to arrival the female party had moved to a nearby business and attempted to gain access to the business to make photocopies.  She was not allowed to enter the business due to COVID.  The department’s social worker responded and attempted to speak with the female party.  Officer Harris advised the female party he would contact a family member to arrange for assistance in getting the photocopies she needed.  She agreed to return home.

On March 25, 2021 at 9:31 p.m. Officer Harris was dispatched to the area of Royalston Road for a loud noise complaint.  The Emergency Communications Center had received multiple complaints regarding the noise.  Officer Harris arrived in the area and observed there were several vehicles parked on the roadway and could hear loud music and yelling from a back yard.  Officers entered the back yard area and observed empty bottles and cans of alcoholic beverages strewn about the ground and tables.  There were several youths present who indicated they were not 21 when asked.    Officer Harris spoke with the individuals present and had them contact a responsible party that could pick them up.  The female party who resides at the residence will be summonsed to Dedham District Court for Minor Possessing Alcohol.

On March 25, 2021 at 9:49 p.m. Officer Harris spoke with a female reporting party regarding computer fraud.  She stated she received a call from an unknown male party who stated he worked for Amazon.  The male party told her there was a charge in the amount of $499.00 that was possibly fraudulent and that she needed to wire him money so the charge could be refunded.  She began the process of this and allowed the male party access to her computer.  She stated the computer was now locked and she could not login.  She eventually hung up on the male party when she became suspicious.  She had contacted her bank and froze the account she believed the individual may have gotten access to.  Officer Harris advised her to report the incident to one of the major credit reporting bureaus and to bring the computer to an IT specialist for assistance with unlocking it.

On March 26, 2021 at 7:52 p.m. Officer Fritts was dispatched to the Sudbury River Aqueduct for a report of people on the bridge actively spray painting it with graffiti.   Officer Fritts spoke to 9 individuals who were leaving the bridge area that denied spray painting the bridge.  The names of some of the individuals he had encountered were spray painted on the bridge.  He made contact with the parents of the youths and they agreed to have the youths clean up the damage.  He advised them he would contact the MWRA to see how they would like to proceed regarding the cleanup.

On March 27, 2021 at 11:51 a.m. Officer Kane was dispatched to a bank on Linden Street for a report of an unruly customer that was causing a disturbance.   A bank employee stated a customer refused to wear a mask and fill out the required COVID contact tracing paperwork the bank requires before conducting any bank business.  The male party eventually consented and after finishing his transaction encountered the reporting party and told him they needed to talk out what happened.  He was advised he needed to leave the bank.  The male party stated the bank employee overreacted and he was unaware of the bank policy and felt that the form was an invasion of his privacy.  The bank employee issued the male party a verbal no trespass order.

On March 27, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Officer Mankavech was dispatched to a call for an elderly female party who seemed confused.  A concerned neighbor had called.  The female party was looking for a family member that lives with her and cares for her, but had gone out.  Another neighbor was able to get in contact with the family member who stated they would return to the residence.  Officer Mankavech will refer the family to the Council on Aging and have the department’s Elder Affairs Officers follow up with the family.

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