The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Arrest
Dec. 1, 8 p.m.: Watertown Police responded to Target for a shoplifting report. A woman was seen placing numerous items of clothing off the shelf and ripping the price tags off them. Then she put them in a reusable shopping bag and tried to leave without paying. The woman was stopped by security guards, who recovered $544.05 in clothing. The 36-year-old Newton woman was arrested on a charge of larceny over $250.
Incidents
Nov. 28, 8:30 a.m.: An Elton Avenue resident reported someone had broken into a vehicle which had been parked outside the evening before. When the owner came out at 6 a.m. he found that someone had gone into the unlocked vehicle and taken a set of Cleveland golf clubs and a golf bag. They were worth a combined $1,100.
Nov. 29, 1:40 p.m.: A window at Sasaki Associates on Pleasant Street was vandalized. Some scratches were seen on the glass and the vinyl window casing was damaged. The damage is estimated at $2,800.
Nov. 29, 5:40 p.m.: A strange device was spotted in a cage in the storage area at Target. An employee discovered a small black plastic box with two flashing lights. No one knew how it got there or what it was. Watertown Police and Fire personnel responded and out of an abundance of caution called in a State Police Bomb Squad. The device was inspected and found not to be a threat. It turned out to be a battery pack with LED lights. It is not known how it got there.
Nov. 29, 5:50 p.m.: A Chandler Street resident was updating a Garmin GPS device on his computer and had trouble logging in. Then a chat box popped up said there was a problem and an IT technician said he would call him back. The tech asked for access to the computer and said that the computer had been compromised. He added that another company could clear the computer of any viruses. The resident contact the company, which was supposedly in California, and wrote two checks, scanned them in and sent the images to the company. The checks totaled $9,600. Later, it was determined when the first tech went into the computer he got access to the resident’s personal information, including his Social Security Number. Police helped the resident cancel his bank accounts and are investigating.
Nov. 30, 7:15 p.m.: Police responded to Prescott Street where a resident said that overnight someone took the wheel and tire off a 2017 Honda Accord parked in he driveway. A crate was left underneath the missing wheel. The tire and wheel are worth a total of $600. Watertown Police have seen an increase of these types of thefts, including one last week in Watertown and others in towns in the Boston area. Police believe the thefts are connected and are investigating in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies.
Dec. 2, 10:50 a.m.: A man walked into Choice Cleaners on Main Street and took a lollipop out of the basket on the counter but was not a customer. Words were exchanged between the man and a male employee. Then the man pushed the employee in the chest. The employee said he was calling police and when the man tried to leave the employee grabbed his clothing and held him until officers arrived. The 18-year-old Watertown man was summonsed to Waltham District Court for assault and battery.
Dec. 2, 2 p.m.: A woman went to Launch Trampoline Park with three children and she placed her wallet and other items in a cubby at about 12:20 p.m. When she returned at 1:15 p.m. she saw the wallet was missing. It contained her driver’s license, credit cards and $180 in cash. Police reviewed security footage and saw a man take the wallet. They were able to identify the man and while speaking with him the man admitted to taking the wallet and returned it. The 39-year-old Watertown man was summonsed to Waltham District Court for larceny under $250.