Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
The Wellesley Police Department is seeking new police officers and has an exam coming up on June 25 at 9am at Wellesley High School, 50 Rice St. Incentives include competitive pay and opportunities for academic credit.
Questions about the upcoming exam and Wellesley Police Department employment may be directed to Lieutenant Marie Cleary at 781-235-1212 or MCleary@WellesleyMa.gov
The Wellesley Police log is frequently peppered with various incidents of fraud, including check fraud, and residents say things have gotten worse lately.
One reader wrote recently of having noticed noticed an unauthorized $10,000 withdrawal from their bank account. “Long story short—after notifying the bank and doing some investigation, I contacted the Wellesley police to report this. I then learned that my loss was one of a number that occurred following theft of mail from post office boxes in town.”
Fortunately for that resident, their bank reversed the withdrawal after receiving a detailed memo from the customer about the theft that included the police report. The customer has emailed friends warning them of the situation as well.
The theft brought back bad memories of the fishing scheme that crooks unleashed on the town back in 2019, in which they would lower sticky mouse traps via wire into mailboxes and snag checks. Then they’d alter the information on the checks and cash them illegally. The U. S. Postal Service responded by retrofitting mailboxes with devices to thwart such theft.
But now we hear thieves have become even more brazen in town.
A reader wrote that a neighbor had their mail stolen out of a mailbox outside the post office in Wellesley Square.
“Rather than the ‘fishing’ that happened in 2019 and led to the new more restrictive mail slots, now the thieves are taking the access doors off the mailboxes, stealing envelopes, altering checks and cashing them,” the reader wrote. “As you can imagine, when this happens it is a lot of work to clear this up with the bank, whoever the check was originally for, etc. So once again the advice is to deposit your mail inside the post office.”
We reached out to the Wellesley Police Department earlier in the week and they said they were planning to issue a public service announcement, which they have. The police say other communities are experiencing similar crime.
Among the advice from the police is to mail checks from within a post office when possible. If using a public mailbox, check that a collection will take place that day. And avoid mailing checks from your home mailbox.
Wellesley MA police log for the period of Jan. 25-29:
On January 27, 2022 at 10:55 p.m. Officer Scopa was dispatched to the area of Worcester Street near Weston Road for a report of an erratic operator. The vehicle was located exiting Worcester Street onto Weston Road. Officer Dixon attempted to stop the vehicle on Weston Road at Pilgrim. The vehicle turned onto Pilgrim Road and stopped near Wilde Road. Once the vehicle was stopped the operator exited the vehicle and told the officers he was okay. Officer Scopa noticed there was damage to the right front tire and the rear of the vehicle. When speaking with the driver, Officer Scopa detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. The driver was afforded the opportunity to take some reasonable tests of balance and coordination and was unable to successfully pass those tests. He was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on personal recognizance.
On January 25, 2022 at 9:45 a.m. an officer was dispatched to a business on Central Street for a report of fraud. The officer spoke with the owner of the business who stated two checks had been cashed against the businesses bank account that she did not write. She did not recognize the names the checks were written out to. The incident is under investigation.
On January 25, 2022 at 3:40 p.m. an officer was dispatched to a bank on Washington Street for a report of male party who had attempted to cash a fraudulent check at approximately 2:15 p.m. The male party provided a driver’s license to cash the check. The bank teller contacted the business and learned they still had the check number presented in their possession. The male party asked for the check back and left the bank. The male party identified by his license will be summonsed to Dedham District Court for Forgery of a Check and Uttering a False check.
On January 26, 2022 at 6:14 p.m. an officer was dispatched to a residence for an unknown male party who had entered the residence, apologized and stated he thought he was babysitting at that residence and then left. It was later determined that the male party went to the wrong residence and was babysitting nearby.
On January 27, 2022 at 4:17 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party regarding damage to a window screen at her residence. The officer observed damage to two exterior window screens that looked as though someone had used a screwdriver or similar type of tool to pry them up. There was no access gained to the residence. There are no suspects at this time.
On January 27, 2022 at 8:09 p.m. an officer spoke to two female parties regarding alleged threats to break into a locked room in their apartment. The reporting party indicated that her roommate threatened to break into her room in the apartment because she refused to pay the cable bill. The other female party stated she did not make any threats but merely asked the roommate to pay the cable bill. The officer spoke to both female parties over the phone as neither of them were present at the residence.
On January 28, 2022 at 11:25 a.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party who noticed two wooden dowels approximately 12’’ long sticking out of a window on her first floor. She was unsure how long the wooden dowels had been there. The residence had not been entered, but she wanted to report the incident.
On January 29, 2022 at 5:42 a.m. officers were dispatched to an apartment for an unwanted party. The female reporting party stated that she had a friend staying over and that after she went to bed for the night the friend became louder and louder and refused to leave the apartment. The officers spoke with the female party who agreed to leave, but was having difficulty arranging for a ride home. She was eventually able to arrange for a ride home and left the apartment.
On January 29, 2022 at 5:55 p.m. an officer was dispatched to speak to a resident about a snow plow that had pushed a pile of snow to the end of the street causing one lane of the street to be blocked. The neighbor who plowed the snow stated he has done so in the past and the snow is then plowed by the town plows. He was advised that it is against the town bylaws to plow snow into the street and he agreed to move it to another location.
Wellesley MA police log for the period of Jan. 10-21:
A several month long investigation by Officer Misho culminated in the arrest of suspect on January 10, 2022 at 7:20 a.m. In January 2020 Officer Misho spoke with a female reporting party who had fallen victim to a romance scam. Over a period of a few months she sent several thousand dollars to an unknown individual who was posing as a male party that she believed she was in a romantic relationship with. Officer Misho’s investigation revealed that the man had received one of the wire transfers made by the victim, withdrew the funds from his bank account and wired the funds to an individual in Nigeria. He was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and transported to Dedham District Court.
On January 10, 2022 at 1:17 a.m. an officer was conducting security checks of businesses on Worcester Street when he observed a moped at a closed gas station. As he approached the gas station, the moped and driver drove around the back of the building. The officer was aware of a recent breaking and entering into a gas station in Natick and checked the doors to ensure they were securely locked. While he was checking the doors the moped came back around to the front of the building and when the officer attempted to engage the driver he evaded the officer and drove westbound in the eastbound lane and then turned onto a side street. The officer later located the moped in a parking lot but was unable to locate the driver. The moped was not properly registered and was towed.
On January 11, 2022 at 6:32 p.m. an officer was dispatched to a business on Worcester Street for a report of an unruly customer. The officer encountered the male party outside who admitted he did yell at a store employee when they did not have an item he wanted but thought it was an overreaction to contact the police. The store employee stated the male party has become angry at other store employees in the past yelling and swearing at them. The male party stated he would shop at another location in the future.
On January 13, 2022 at 12:40 p.m. an officer spoke to a female party who claimed someone had hit her vehicle while it was parked overnight. The officer looked at the vehicle and noticed the damage to the front of the vehicle was consistent with damage to the guardrail it was parked up against. The officer asked the reporting party if anyone else had keys to the vehicle. The reporting party indicated she was the only one with keys to the vehicle but was unaware that the guardrail had been struck when parking the vehicle. She was advised to contact her insurance company to file a claim for repairs to the vehicle.
On January 15, 2022 at 9:22 a.m. an officer spoke with a male reporting party who was the victim of a Craigslist scam. The male party posted an item for sale on Craigslist and a potential buyer stated they would like to buy the item and sent a check for $1,500 more than the cost of the item and asked that the $1,500 be sent back to them via Venmo. The male party deposited the check and sent the $1,500 before learning the check was fraudulent. The bank indicated they would refund him the $1,500. There are no suspects.
On January 15, 2022 at 6:11 p.m. an officer spoke to a male reporting party who stated he had left his pickup truck running on Central Street when he went into a restaurant to pick up some takeout food. He stated when he exited the restaurant he noticed someone trying to move his vehicle and he was unable to get to the vehicle in time to stop the unknown individual from taking it. He stated the vehicle was driven west on Central Street. A Wellesley College Officer heard the radio transmission and began checking their campus and the area as well. The Wellesley College Officer noticed a pickup truck running with another vehicle parked next to it in one of the parking lots on their campus. The officer spoke to a male party that was standing between the pickup truck and another vehicle and asked him what was going on and he indicated he was just leaving and entered a Mazda and left the campus. A query of that vehicle’s registration revealed it had been stolen in Malden.
On January 17, 2022 at 12:45 an officer was dispatched to inspect a traffic control box on Washington Street at Seaward Road for a poster that had been pasted on the box. The officer found a poster for Patriot Front. Another officer located similar posters on two traffic control boxes on Washington Street. The posters were removed and any damage to the paint will be repaired by the artists who painted the boxes. The incident is under investigation.
On January 17, 2022 at 4:05 p.m. an officer was dispatched to the area of Cross Street for an aggressive dog that was unleashed. The officer spoke to the male reporting party and the dog owner. The reporting party indicated the neighbor’s dog has attacked him by jumping on him on two occasions and he will be hiring an attorney to address the issue of the dog being unleashed. The dog owner was apologetic and indicated the electric fence to keep the dog on his property malfunctioned and he will get it repaired. He indicated the dog jumps when he is excited and he did not believe the dog was trying to harm his neighbor. ACO Smith was notified and will follow up to ensure the fence is repaired.
On January 18, 2022 at 12:28 p.m. an officer spoke with a male party who stated his girlfriend’s bicycle had been stolen in Boston in September 2021 and he had been tracking bicycles being sold on the internet and noticed a bicycle that he believed might be his girlfriend’s being sold by an individual in Wellesley. The officer spoke with the seller and was able to verify that the bicycle was not the one that had been stolen and that the seller buys used bicycles, fixes them up and resells them.
On January 18, 2021 at 2:56 p.m. an officer spoke with a female reporting party who noticed a male party in a vehicle taking photographs of her home. The reporting party provided a vehicle description to the Emergency Communications Center. The officer checked the area and was unable to locate the vehicle. The reporting party stated when she made eye contact with the operator of the vehicle he quickly accelerated away from the area. The reporting party was concerned because a vehicle was stolen from the residence a year ago and she noticed someone outside of the residence prior to the vehicle being taken. The officer advised her to lock the car doors and ensure the house was secured as well.
On January 18, 2022 at 3:50 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party regarding a missing diamond necklace valued at $20,000. The reporting party stated the necklace had been secured in a lock box while they were away and that there had been several people in the residence while they were gone. On January 19th the reporting party called back and stated the necklace had been located damaged in the garage.
On January 21, 2022 at 2:10 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party that has been receiving unwanted text messages from an unknown person. She had received six text messages over a period of three months. She stated she believed the text messages may have come from her ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend or someone else his ex-girlfriend knows. The incident is under investigation.
On January 21, 2022 at 3:15 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party regarding a bank account being fraudulently opened in her name. She stated she received a letter from a bank in Ohio confirming overdraft protection on a bank account that she had not opened. When she contacted the bank the social security number associated with the account was not hers and they would not give her any identifying information on who may have opened the account. The officer provided her with a copy of the Wellesley Police Department Identity Theft Guide and advised her to review her credit report to ensure there were no other accounts that had been compromised or other suspicious activity.
Wellesley, MA police log for the weeks of Dec. 21, 2021-Jan. 1, 2022:
On December 21, 2021 at 2:00 a.m. an officer was conducting security checks of commercial buildings on Worcester Street when he noticed two individuals walking eastbound on the grass/curb area of the roadway. When the two individuals noticed the officer, they attempted to hide from view. The officer stopped and began checking the area on foot. He located two youths hiding in a wooded area. He determined the two youths had run away from a residential treatment center in Natick. It was determined that the two youths had been reported missing the previous day. A representative from the treatment center responded and took custody of them.
On December 21, 2021 at 2:48 a.m. officers responded to a business on Linden Street for a report of store employees being harassed by several youths that were in the store. The reporting party stated that large groups of youths come into the store after school and cause a disturbance, use foul language and act in a rude manner to the store employees. Officers spoke to a couple of the youths who indicated the store employees used foul language towards them, which caused the disturbance to occur. The officer asked if the store manager could forward the store security camera footage so it could be reviewed. The incident is under investigation.
On December 21, 2021 at 8:35 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party who stated her vehicle was vandalized sometime between 6:00 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. She stated it appeared the hood of the vehicle had been keyed. The officer spoke with the businesses nearby to see if there was any security footage that might have captured the damage being done, but was unable to locate any security footage. There are no suspects at this time.
On December 22, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. an officer spoke with a male reporting party regarding a catalytic converter being stolen from a motor vehicle that was parked in a lot on Worcester Street. The theft occurred sometime between Monday and Wednesday. There are no suspects.
On December 22, 2021 at 6:20 p.m. an officer spoke with a female reporting party regarding a purse that was stolen from a business on Linden Street. The reporting party relayed that her purse had been stolen at one store and she went into another store to meet with her husband and ask for his help in locating the purse. The officer followed up with both stores and found the purse had been turned in at the second store and was later returned to the reporting party. She stated there was approximately $410 in cash missing and prescription medication.
On December 23, 2021 at 3:50 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party who stated she felt someone had been entering her apartment and moving things or taking them. She stated she could not locate her car keys and was concerned someone had broken into the apartment and taken them. There did not appear to be any signs of forced entry into the apartment. The officer asked if the female party had potentially misplaced the keys and asked if she wanted assistance looking for them. She declined the offer to help look for the keys.
On December 26, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. an officer spoke to a female party who stated that while attending a hockey game at the Wellesley Sports Center her Louis Vuitton bag valued at $7,000 had been stolen. She was advised to cancel her credit cards as soon as possible to avoid any fraudulent charges. The officer advised the reporting party that he would attempt to review any security footage and get back to her. Before the officer cleared the call the female party walked over to his police vehicle and advised him that she had located the purse inside her vehicle.
On December 27, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. an officer spoke to a reporting party regarding damaged Christmas lawn decorations. The reporting party had two large inflatable decorations and one of them had been damaged with multiple tears along the seam. There are no suspects.
On December 27, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party who had received a check from the Department of Unemployment Assistance and had not filed a claim. She stated she needed a police report to file the claim with the Department of Unemployment Assistance.
On December 27, 2021 at 7:45 a.m. an officer spoke to a female party regarding an email fraud. She had received an email from an unknown individual that was posing as a neighbor and requested assistance in purchasing Google Play gift cards as a gift for a friend. The unknown party indicated they would reimburse her for the money when they returned. The female party purchased a total of $500 worth of Google Play gift cards and provided the codes on the cards to the unknown individual. The incident is under investigation
On December 30, 2021 at 4:24 p.m. an officer spoke with a female reporting party who stated she had parked her vehicle in a neighbor’s parking spot in the garage of their apartment building on December 25th. She stated there was a bag in the car with some jewelry in it and later on realized that the jewelry was missing. The incident is under investigation.
On December 30, 2021 at 8:13 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party regarding a PayPal scam. The reporting party had sold an item on Facebook marketplace for $125 to a buyer. The buyer requested to pay via PayPal and then overpaid for the item by $325 saying that she would have to make an overpayment to make the payment work because the seller’s PayPal account needed to be upgraded. The $450 payment was showing as pending in the seller’s PayPal account. Due to the pending status the reporting party was unable to send back the overpayment. The reporting party sent $325 of her own money via Zelle. The officer advised her to see if she could stop that payment. The incident is under investigation.
On January 1, 2022 an officer was dispatched to a residence for a possible past breaking and entering. The reporting party stated that it appeared there was a black substance on the door trim leading from the garage door to the mudroom of the house that they did not notice before. The black substance appeared to be grease. It did not appear there was any forced entry into the garage and there was nothing missing from the residence. There are no suspects.
On January 1, 2022 at 12:50 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party who stated some packages were delivered to her house while she was away and when she returned home the packages were gone. She stated a neighbor indicated the packages were there on the 29th and her house cleaner indicated they were there on the 31st. There are no suspects at this time.
This log is supplied by the Wellesley Police Department and includes a selection of arrests and incidents. The entire log is available by visiting the department. The Swellesley Report withholds names of those involved, with some exceptions for incidents or arrests that gain widespread attention.
Wellesley, Mass., police log for the period of Nov. 22-Dec. 11:
On November 24, 2021 at 11:43 a.m. Officer DiCenso was on Weston Road near Central Street when she observed a white Honda CRV appear to have a collision with another motor vehicle, back up and then attempt to leave the scene. Officer DiCenso attempted to stop the vehicle 3 times and it attempted to evade being stopped by stopping and then starting again, turning onto Linden Street and stopping and then starting again, turning into a residential parking area and attempting to turn around. Officer DiCenso noticed the driver side air bag had deployed. Officer DiCenso spoke with the male operator, and requested his license and registration. The operator provided his license and the vehicle inspection report, he then provided an expired vehicle registration. She noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his speech was slurred and she could detect an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. He denied consuming any alcohol. There was an open bottle of beer in the vehicle. He was aware he had been involved in an accident and denied trying to leave the scene of the accident. He was unable to successfully pass reasonable tests to determine if he was able to safely operate a motor vehicle. He was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and released on personal recognizance.
On November 29, 2021 at 6:42 p.m. Officer Gaffney was on patrol on Worcester Street when he observed a Honda Accord with an expired registration. He stopped the vehicle and spoke with the operator, and requested her license and registration. A query of her information revealed there was an active Straight Warrant issued by Framingham District Court. She was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on personal recognizance.
On November 22, 2021 at 6:56 a.m. an officer was dispatched to the area of the Bacon Street bridge for a report of new graffiti on the bridge. There were several items of graffiti that appeared to be new. The MBTA was contacted to request the graffiti be removed.
On November 22, 2021 at 12:46 p.m. an officer spoke with a resident on Carver Road about a past breaking and entering into two unlocked motor vehicles. The reporting party stated both vehicles had been entered and a wallet was missing from one vehicle. The wallet contained personal documents and credit cards. One of the credit cards had been used at a gas station in Ashland, MA. The incident is under investigation.
On November 22, 2021 at 12:55 p.m. an officer spoke with a female reporting party from Wareland Road who stated her unlocked vehicle was entered overnight and her wallet was taken. The wallet contained approximately $200 in cash, personal documents and credit cards. The incident is under investigation.
On November 22, 2021 at 3:38 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party regarding a past breaking and entering into three unlocked motor vehicles. The reporting party stated the contents of the vehicles had been gone through and approximately $10 in change had been taken from one vehicle. The incident is under investigation.
On November 23, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. an officer spoke to a female party about a lost purse. She stated she was running late for the train and walked down Weston Road and Central Street to get to the train station. She stated when she arrived at the train station she realized her backpack was open and some of her personal belongings had fallen out. She retraced her steps but was unable to find her purse. The officer also checked the route she indicated she had walked and was unable to locate the missing purse.
On November 26, 2021 at 12:20 p.m. an officer spoke with a male reporting party who stated that he had been communicating with a female party over the summer and eventually they stopped talking with each other. He stated in September he started receiving several phone calls and text messages from the female party and an unknown male party. Some of the messages were threatening in nature. He stated he stopped responding to the messages and then started receiving messages through his social media account. He stated he just wished for the text messages to stop. The officer spoke with the female party on the phone and advised her to stop contacting the reporting party and if there were continued communications she could be charged criminally for harassment. She stated she understood and no further contact would be made.
On November 28, 2021 at 10:14 a.m. an officer spoke to a male reporting party regarding fraud. He stated he thought he had contacted Apple online for computer repairs and had provided his credit card information and part of his social security number to the fraudulent online site. There were 3 attempts to charge $500 to his credit card that were unsuccessful. He was advised to contact the credit reporting bureau to make them aware of the fraud.
On November 29, 2021 at 4:20 a.m. an officer was dispatched to a residence on Bobolink Road for a report of a suspicious male party that was on the property of the reporting party and then ran from the area. The reporting party stated his security camera system notified him that there was motion near his side door. He opened his door and called out into the back yard and then observed what appeared to be a male party in a red hooded sweatshirt running along Bobolink Road towards Cedar Street. Officers checked the area and were unable to find anyone matching that description.
On November 30, 2021 at 12:43 p.m. an officer was dispatched to Windsor Road for a report of a stolen motor vehicle. The reporting party had parked her AudiQ7 in the driveway of a client and left the keys and her wallet in the vehicle. She stated sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. the vehicle was taken from the driveway. On December 1, 2021 the officer learned that an Audi employee was supposed to pick up an Audi from the residence next door and inadvertently took the reporting party’s vehicle.
On December 1, 2021 at 12:15 p.m. an officer spoke with an elderly female reporting party who stated her debit card was utilized to withdraw money from her account without her authorization and a purchase she did not authorize was made. The reporting party stated she had contacted the bank about the fraud. The officer followed up with the bank and learned that the withdrawal and purchase did not occur and that the reporting party has made several claims to the bank that funds have been withdrawn that have not been.
On December 3, 2021 at 3:25 a.m. while conducting security checks of the Sprague Field an officer noticed new graffiti on the Facilities Maintenance Department maintenance shop building. The officer notified the Facilities Director of the vandalism so it could be removed.
On December 3, 2021 at 6:45 p.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party who indicated she was the victim of a computer scam. The reporting party stated on December 2nd she was on her computer when a message popped up stating she should call Microsoft because her URL had been compromised. She contacted the number that appeared on the message and was advised that anything on her computer had been breached to include her telephone and Wi-Fi and that she needed to provide her debit card information so they could secure her bank account. She did not provide that information. The caller then instructed her to purchase vouchers to make her bank account whole again. She purchased $3,500 in gift cards to Target and Apple and provided the card information to the caller. After speaking with them she became suspicious and contacted her bank and learned her account had not been compromised. They cancelled her debit card an issued a new card. She was advised to bring the computer to a computer specialist, to place a fraud alert of her information and block the phone number the scammers used to contact her.
On December 3, 2021 at 5:18 p.m. an officer spoke with a female reporting party from a business on Linden Street who stated a food delivery driver became upset when she asked him to wait outside until his order was ready. The male party began to yell at her and then knocked 3 takeout orders valued at approximately $300 off of a table striking the reporting party. The reporting party provided a description of the male party and his vehicle. The incident is under investigation.
On December 7, 2021 at 11:13 a.m. an officer spoke to a male reporting party who wished to report that his front license plate was either lost or stolen. The reporting party was not sure when the license plate was lost or stolen. The plate number was entered into NCIC as lost/stolen, which will allow the reporting party to request a replacement plate with the registry of motor vehicles.
On December 7, 2021 at 1:45 p.m. an officer spoke with a male reporting party regarding a lost or stolen trailer license plate. The reporting party stated his boat trailer is stored in East Boston and he noticed on December 7th that the license plate was missing from the trailer. He is unsure when the license plate was lost or stolen. The plate was entered into NCIC as lost/stolen, which will allow the reporting party to request a replace plate with the registry of motor vehicles.
On December 8, 2021 in the early morning hours, three home burglaries occurred on Garden Road, Sawyer Road, and Hawthorne Road. The three homes were all occupied by residents when the burglaries occurred. Items were stolen from the homes. Entry was made via unlocked doors and windows on the first floor. There was an attempted break-in at a fourth home, but the first floor doors and windows were all locked, and no entry was gained. Wellesley Police Officers and Detectives are investigating these cases. Less than a month ago, similar burglaries to occupied homes occurred during the overnight hours in the Edgewater Drive neighborhood. Entry was made via unlocked doors in those cases as well.
On December 9, 2021 at 9:20 a.m. an officer spoke to a male reporting party regarding a package that was stolen. He stated a package contained two Samsung Galaxy phones was delivered by FedEx on December 6th and he never received them. The tracking slip indicated the reporting party signed for the phones on December 6th at 10:18 a.m. The reporting party stated nobody was home at the residence at that time. He stated he contacted Samsung and they requested a police report to replace the phones.
On December 11, 2021 at 5:40 a.m. an officer was on patrol when he heard a loud crashing sound from the area of Worcester Street in front of the Wellesley Fire Station. He then observed the sign for the Gulf Gas Station had been knocked over and a vehicle with significant damage near the gas pumps. It appeared the vehicle had rolled over and had significant damage to the roof. There was one male occupant in the vehicle that was extricated by the Wellesley Fire Department and transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. The Wellesley Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating the crash.
The Wellesley Police Department would like to remind residents during the Holidays, to take common sense precautions to keep your home, vehicle, and family safe. Please lock all of the doors to your home, especially if you are traveling. Setting your home alarms and calling the police department to report suspicious activity is also important.
Locking car doors, both your own and your visiting guests, will prevent most theft. The department continues to see cars being broken into in Wellesley and stolen from surrounding towns. Many of these car burglaries and car thefts are as a result of the car being unlocked with the keys left inside.
Wellesley, Mass., police log for the period of Nov. 8-21:
On November 11, 2021 at 1:05 p.m. officers were dispatched to the area of Weston Road at Turner Road for a report of a driver falling asleep who was unable to maintain their lane of travel. The motor vehicle was observed by officers in the area of the Wellesley Gardens. As officers attempted to stop the vehicle it took a sharp turn into the driveway of the Wellesley Gardens and struck a fence. The operator then attempted to back up nearly striking the officer’s vehicle that had pulled in behind him. Officers spoke with the operator and detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. While speaking with him, the officers noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy and his speech was slurred. He agreed to take some reasonable tests of balance and coordination to determine if he was able to safely operate a motor vehicle. When he exited his vehicle he was unsteady on his feet and braced himself by holding the side of the vehicle. He was unable to successfully pass these tests. The vehicle had also struck a fence along Weston Road. The driver was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on personal recognizance.
On November 17, 2021 at 10:45 p.m. Officer Shore was on patrol on Barton Road when he observed a male party. Officer Shore was aware of an active default warrant issued by the Dedham District Court for motor vehicle related charges for him. He was taken into custody, transport
ed to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later transported to Dedham District Court.
On November 19, 2021 at 10:38 p.m. Officer Collins was dispatched to Washington Street at Woodlawn Ave for a report of a motor vehicle crash. Upon arrival he observed two vehicles with significant damage. Officer Collins spoke with the drivers of the two vehicles involved in the crash. While speaking with one driver, Officer Collins noticed that he was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and his eyes were glassy and bloodshot. He agreed to take some reasonable tests of balance and coordination to determine if he was able to safely operate a motor vehicle. The driver was unable to successfully complete these tests. He was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on personal recognizance.
On November 8, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. an officer was dispatched to a car dealership on Worcester Street for a report of a stolen motor vehicle. The vehicle was located at another dealership with front end damage. The reporting party stated that it was last observed on their property on November 4th or 5th. The officer responded to the 2nd dealership and observed that the vehicle’s two front tires were flat and it had damage to front driver side bumper. The incident is under investigation.
On November 8, 2021 at 2:24 p.m. an officer was dispatched to a car dealership on Worcester Street for a report of a stolen dealer license plate. The reporting party stated that the dealer plate was last used on October 28th. The dealer plate was entered into the statewide database as a stolen license plate.
On November 9, 2021 at 2:03 p.m. an officer spoke with a male reporting party who works at a financial institution in Wellesley. The reporting party stated he had received a threatening email from the family member of a customer. The customer resides out of state and threatened to physically harm the reporting party. The reporting party had notified the police department where he resides and wanted to make the Wellesley Police Department aware of the threats in case they continue or escalate.
On November 10, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. an officer spoke to a male reporting party who stated overnight he received messages from an unknown party on the social media platform Kik threatening to share a nude photo of him with all of his social media contacts. The male party stated the unknown female party had forwarded a nude photo of a male party and screen shots of the reporting party’s contacts. The unknown party directed the reporting party to purchase numerous gift cards so the photo would not be sent to his contacts. The officer advised the reporting party not to purchase the gift cards or to have any further communication with the unknown party.
On November 11, 2021 at 11:59 a.m. an officer spoke to a female reporting party about a fraud incident. The reporting party stated that when she received her October bank statement she noticed there had been two remote withdrawals from her account on October 20th totaling $55,450. The reporting party stated she contacted her bank and was provided with the name of the financial institution the funds were transferred to and then contacted them. They provided her with additional information regarding the two fraudulent transactions. The reporting party went to her bank in person to speak with a bank employee and learned that there had been 12 withdrawals, totaling over $490,000 made between October 20th and November 10th. The incident is under investigation.
On November 12, 2021 at 10:20 a.m. an officer spoke to a male reporting party who stated his vehicle had been broken into while parked on Cliff Road. The passenger side window the vehicle had been broken and a cooler that was inside had been taken. There are no suspects.
On November 13, 2021 at 6:10 a.m. an officer spoke to a resident from Fife Road about a suspicious party that was in their backyard at 5:50 a.m. The reporting party stated that they exited their home and heard leaves crunching in the backyard. The reporting party walked towards the backyard, which caused a motion sensor light to illuminate, and then saw a male party in the woods behind the residence. The reporting party walked towards the unknown male party who then left the property towards Dunedin Road. The reporting party was advised to contact the police department if they observe anything suspicious in the future.
On November 15, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. an officer spoke with a female reporting party who stated a large sink that was being stored outside the residence in the back yard had been taken from the property. She stated the sink was valued at approximately $750. The officer checked with the neighbors who did not see anything suspicious. There are no suspects.
On November 18, 2021 at 12:31 p.m. an officer spoke with a male reporting party who stated he received invoices from AT&T for purchases he had not made. He stated the invoices indicated that there was a balance owed of $843.98 for an iPhone 11 which had been purchased on August 13th and a balance owed of $1,492.97 for an Apple iPad Pro that had been purchased on August 16th. He contacted AT&T and explained he had not opened an account or made the purchases. After they investigated the purchases they advised him that he would not be responsible for the charges. There are no suspects.
On November 20, 2021 at 2:20 a.m. Officer Lucenta was conducting security checks and observed a motor vehicle in the parking lot of the Boston Sports Institute. She spoke with the juvenile male operator who had an open container of alcohol and was smoking marijuana. The male party admitted he had consumed alcohol. When asked if he had any more marijuana in the vehicle handed Officer Lucenta a bag with a green vegetable-like item believed to be marijuana. Officer Lucenta made contact with the juvenile’s parent who came and brought the juvenile home. The juvenile will be summonsed to Dedham Juvenile Court for Trespassing and Minor Possessing or Transporting Alcohol.
On November 20, 2021 at 10:50 a.m. an officer spoke to an employee from a business on Washington Street. The reporting party stated that when the store closed they noticed a wheel barrel that had been displayed outside for sale was missing. Upon reviewing their store security camera footage they found that an unknown male party walked away with the wheel barrel at 3:15 p.m. The officer checked with other businesses in the area to see if any additional security camera footage was available. The incident is under investigation.
On November 21, 2021 Officer Mankavech was dispatched to Edgewater Drive for a report of a past breaking and entering. There were several home burglaries in the Edgewater Drive and River Glen Road neighborhood that appear to have occurred during the night from Saturday, November 20, to Sunday,
November 21, 2021. Homes were entered via unlocked doors. Items were removed and stolen from the homes while the residents were present. The residents were unaware that anyone was in the house until they discovered the missing items the following morning. In one case, a vacant house slated for demolition, was also broken into. Forced entry was made into that dwelling. The incidents are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Mike Mankavech at 781-235-1212 or via email at mmankavech@wellesleyma.gov.
The Wellesley Police Department would like to remind residents with the upcoming Holidays, to take common sense precautions to keep your home, vehicle, and family safe. Please lock all of the doors to your home, especially if you are traveling. Setting your home alarms and calling the police department to report suspicious activity is also important.
Locking car doors, both your own and your visiting guests, will prevent most theft. The department continues to see cars being broken into (most recently on Carver Road) and stolen from surrounding towns. Many of these car burglaries and car thefts are as a result of the car being unlocked with the keys left inside.
From the Wellesley Police Department:
The Wellesley Police Department is urging residents to lock doors, windows, and cars after recent burglaries in town.
On Wednesday, Dec. 8, in the early morning hours, break-ins occurred at three homes on Garden Road, Sawyer Road, and Hawthorne Road, all of which are north of Rte. 9, bordering the Cliff Estates area. Residents were home when the burglaries took place. No one was hurt, but items were stolen from the homes. The intruders accessed homes via unlocked doors and windows on the first floor.
There was an attempted break-in at a fourth home, but the first floor doors and windows were locked.
WPD officers and detectives are investigating these cases.
Less than a month ago, similar burglaries to occupied homes occurred overnight in the Edgewater Drive neighborhood. Intruders also gained access through unlocked doors.
WPD has increased regular patrols in neighborhoods. Please report any suspicious activity by contacting Wellesley Police Dispatch at 781-235-1212. Call 9-1-1 to report emergencies.
Anyone with information about these recent break-ins should call the Wellesley Police Department or email Detective Stan Dunajski at SDunajski@wellesleyma.gov