The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Arrests
None
Incidents
June 14, 12:26 a.m.: Multiple calls were received about a trash barrel on fire at Lowell Elementary School. Officers arrived and found a can on fire on the basketball court at the school. The Watertown Fire Department arrived and put out the flames. No suspect could be found after police searched the area. Prior to the reports of the fire, police had received calls about loud fireworks in the area. It is not clear if that was the cause of the fire. No evidence of fireworks were found in the barrel.
June 14, 10:21 a.m.: A Waltham man was summoned to court after being caught on security video taking items from the Watertown Housing Authority. Police received a call from the director of Watertown Housing who reviewed security video from 3 a.m. on June 14 which showed a man entering the senior housing apartment building at 101 Warren Street and going into the janitorial closet. He took some Christmas decorations and placed them into a small cart and left with the items. While investigating, police found a cellphone in the closet, which they were able to confirm belonged to the man who took the items. Watertown Police summoned the 31-year-old Waltham man to Waltham District Court on charges of nighttime breaking and entering into a building and larceny from a building.
June 14 10:47 a.m.: Two men got into an altercation over work being done on a home on Adams Street. The homeowner called the owner of the construction company doing the work to express his displeasure with some of the work. The two began arguing and the homeowner told police that the construction company owner punched him twice in the face, causing minor injuries. Police spoke to the company owner who said he had gotten into an argument with the homeowner, who pushed him. He denied punching the man. No charges were filed. Police told the men, both of whom are 86 years old, that they could seek a complaint at Waltham District Court.
June 14 4:19 p.m.: A catalytic converter was stolen from a vehicle owned by the company that runs shuttles to Mount Auburn Hospital from a parking lot on Grove Street. The theft was discovered on June 12, and it likely took place overnight from June 11 to 12.
June 14, 10:23 p.m.: A van parked on Watertown Street was vandalized. The owner said the 2014 Ford Transit was parked on the street in front of a residence, and someone spray painted “GC” and “Bekar” in black paint on the driver’s side of the van.
June 15, 3:04 p.m.: A Watertown woman reported that she had been scammed. She received a call from someone saying her Social Security Number had been compromised. She was told she had to pay $2,000 to rectify the situation or else a warrant would be taken out for her arrest. She took out money from her bank and purchased Nike gift cards, and then gave the gift card information to the caller.
June 15, 8:40 p.m.: Police rushed to a home on Elm Street after receiving a report of a man with a gun who was threatening people. In the 911 call, the person reported that the man who lived in one of the rental rooms in the home was in the basement with a firearm and was threatening other residents. Then the person hung up. Five officers responded, but found the man who was supposed to be making the threats sitting on the front porch. The man had gotten into a disagreement with the man who made the call earlier in the day. Police were able to identify the person who made the 911 call, who also lived at the home. The 40-year-old Watertown man was summoned to Waltham District Court on a charge of false reports to an emergency service provider.
June 16, 10:04 a.m.: An employee at a business on Elton Avenue found numerous incidents of vandalism. Someone used a black marker or spray paint to draw random lines and vulgar images on the walls on the exterior of the building. The incidents took place between June 11 and 16.
June 16, 4:52 p.m.: A Watertown resident tried to purchase a heat press online from Walmart, and when she tried to use her debit card it did not work. The woman Googled the customer service number and spoke with a man who gave her a second number and told her to call back on that number. The man then told her to purchase a $200 Google Play card so he could process the purchase of the heat press. She did so, but later realized it was a scam.
June 16, 9:15 p.m.: A woman noticed a male figure outside on her balcony on June 14, but did not think anything had happened. Two days later she realized her mountain bike was missing from the first-floor balcony. The bike is a turquoise colored, size medium valued at $500. She did not know the make and model.
June 17, 11:55 p.m.: Charles River Road residents returned home from a vacation to find that someone had ransacked their home. The family had been gone from June 12 to 15, and they came home and found that someone forced open the front door. They were not sure if anything had been taken. Police are investigating.
June 20, 8:52 a.m.: A man who works at Watertown Towing had his truck stolen, and later that day the suspect was caught by police. The man left his 2019 Chevy utility truck running when he went in to clock in at work. He saw a man crossing the street who then jumped into his vehicle and sped away down North Beacon Street toward Watertown Square. He called police, who put out a bulletin to other departments to be on the lookout for the vehicle. At 9:56 a.m. State Police contacted Watertown Police after they arrested a man who had been in an accident in Saugus. The man had been driving the stolen vehicle, and later was identified as the man who drove off in the truck. Watertown Police charged the 22-year-old man from Pawtucket, R.I., with larceny of a motor vehicle. State Police also charged him with other offenses.
Many crimes but not many arrests.
This is very disappointing.
How long will this go on?