Wellesley Police log for  4/29/19-5/11/19

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Arrests

On April 30, 2019 at 1:57 p.m. Officer Cunningham was dispatched to People’s Bank on Linden Street for a report of a male party attempting to cash a fraudulent check.  Upon arrival he spoke with a bank employee who stated that the male party was still at the teller window and a 2^nd male party was attempting to cash a fraudulent check at another teller window. Officer Cunningham asked both males to accompany him into a bank employee’s office so they could determine if the checks were fraudulent and they agreed to do so.   Officer Cunningham learned that 1 man had presented a check from the same business in Boston at another bank in Needham earlier in the day and the bank contacted the issuing company and learned the check was fraudulent.  Officer Cunningham contacted the issuing company and learned that both of the checks that were presented by both men were fraudulent.  They were both taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights held on $2,000 bail.

On May 2, 2019 at 11:13 p.m. Officer Dixon was traveling west on Worcester Street when he observed a Hyundai sedan traveling in the left travel lane suddenly cross over the right lane dividing line and enter the right lane almost striking the vehicle that was driving in the right lane.  He stopped the vehicle and spoke with the operator, who provided his personal information to Officer Dixon and indicated he did not have a license.  A query of his information showed that there was an active warrant issued by Quincy District Court for outstanding fines and that his license was revoked.  He was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on $300 bail.

On May 2, 2019 at Officer DeBernardi and other officers executed several search warrants and two arrest warrants and took 2 men into custody.  Both parties had used lost/stolen credit cards at various stores in Braintree.  These credit cards were in a wallet was lost or stolen from a female party while she was dining at a restaurant in Hingham.  The lost or stolen wallet and fraudulent credit card use was reported to Officer DeBernardi on April 2^nd at 10:00 a.m.  by a female Wellesley resident.  At the time of the theft, 1 man was employed as a cashier at the restaurant.  Officer DeBernardi and Detective D’Innocenzo spoke with the credit card companies and obtained information regarding the fraudulent charges which had been made on March 29, 2019 after the reporting party’s wallet was stolen.   Officer DeBernardi was able to obtain video surveillance footage and still photos of the two male parties that had used the stolen credit cards.  Through his investigation, Officer DeBernardi was able to identify the male parties.   At the time of the arrests officers executed search warrants at their addresses.   Items that had been purchased with the stolen credit cards were located in both residences.    The warrant issued by the Dedham District court for the first man’s arrest was for Larceny Under $1,200, 3 Counts of Receiving a Lost Credit Card, 3 Counts of Credit Card Fraud Under $1,200 and Identity Fraud.   The warrant issued for the 2nd man was for 3 Counts of Receiving a Lost Credit Card, 3 Counts of Credit Card Fraud Under $1,200 and Identity Fraud.  Theywere transported to the Wellesley Police Department where they were afforded all rights and booked in the usual manner. The first man was held without bail and the second was released on $3,000 bail. 

On May 5, 2019 at 9:44 a.m. Officer Cunningham was conducting traffic enforcement on Worcester Street when he observed a Ford dump truck with an uncovered load of mulch.  The truck appeared to be a commercial vehicle weighing more

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The Wellesley Police Department issued the following warning:

The Wellesley Police Department wants to make you aware of recent criminal activity in the surrounding towns and in eastern Massachusetts. To date, this activity has not occurred in Wellesley, but the Wellesley Police Department wants to advise our residents as a proactive crime prevention measure.

There has been a significant increase in forced entry car break ins where vehicle windows are smashed out and purses or wallets are taken from the car. Many times, stolen checks, credit cards, driver’s licenses, and identities are then used in the following days at various banks to fraudulently obtain money.

The suspects involved in this activity have been targeting work out/fitness centers, schools, including daycare facilities and nursery schools. In recent cases, suspects have been waiting for parents to leave the car in a school parking lot, and then immediately smashing out a window and stealing a purse or wallet. The suspects act very quickly once the victim leaves the vehicle, and usually are able to commit the crime and flee the scene in less than one minute. These thefts have been occurring throughout the day, but several recent thefts have occurred prior to 8AM in busy, well populated drop off areas. One or two thefts are typically committed before the suspects move to a different part of eastern Massachusetts.

The Wellesley Police Department wants to remind you to remove your valuable items from your vehicle, especially checks, credit cards, and identification when you get out of your car. Locking the door to your car is not a deterrent to thieves who are willing to smash out a window. Being in a well-traveled and busy area (like a child drop off area at a school) is also not a deterrent to thieves.

Again, this is a proactive warning. Many surrounding communities have experienced these thefts very recently. Please report suspicious activity to the Wellesley Police Department when it happens by either dialing 9-1-1 or 781-235-1212.

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