The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Arrest
Jan. 16, 12:24 p.m.: Police received a report of a shoplifting at Best Buy. Store security spotted a man who was observed taking a laptop, and gave the description to police and said he had been seen heading toward Arsenal Street. Officers spotted a man matching the description on a bench in Arsenal Yards. When the man saw the cruiser approaching he began walking away. Offices spotted a bag with a laptop box poking out. They asked him to stop so they could speak with him, and told him to put the bag on the ground. The man kept walking and said he didn’t want to get into trouble and that he needed the laptop for school. He walked and then ran away. Officers pursued and were able to convince him to stop running. They got the laptop and confirmed it was from Best Buy which cost $1,399. They also discovered the man had a warrant. Ian Bass, 26, of Boston, was arrested on a charge of larceny over $1,200 and the warrant from Dudley District Court for driving with a suspended license.
Incidents
Jan. 16, 12 p.m.: Officers responded to Best Buy to check out a report a shoplifting from the previous day. At 5:37 p.m. on the 15th a man was seen entering and put two JBL Flip 6 portable speakers, valued at $130 each, into a bag that said Boston City on it. Police are investigating.
Jan. 16, 7 p.m.: Best Buy reported seeing two men on security footage who each took three pairs of headphones, and left without paying. One of the men had been seen the day before taking an HP laptop and putting it under his parka and leaving without paying. The suspect was described as a skinny African American man wearing a black winter jacket, a medical mask, and a black backpack. The second was a skinny African-American man wearing a blue parka.
Jan. 17, 5:46 p.m.: Police stopped a vehicle that went through a red light at Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown Square. The vehicle was pulled over on Galen Street. The driver did not have a valid license. The 42-year-old Waltham woman was summoned to Waltham District Court for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Jan. 17, 1:26 p.m.: A bicycle was left in the storage area of a garage at Arsenal Yards. When the owner returned, the bike was gone. The silver Specialized hybrid bike was valued at $1,300. Police are investigating.
Jan. 18, 7 p.m.: A Lincoln Street resident reported that someone drove onto the lawn and struck the home’s retaining wall. The vehicle left the area. The estimated damage is $15,000. The incident occurred sometime between Jan. 14 and 15.
Jan 19, 3 p.m.: A pickup truck that parked in the municipal lot in Watertown Square between 2:30 and 3 p.m. had its mirror broken and the passenger side window was cracked. The vehicle that struck the truck left the area.
Jan. 21, 8 a.m.: A package was taken from a home on Worcester Street on Jan. 12. It had been left on the front porch by DHL at 2 p.m., and a picture was taken showing it there. When the owner came home at 5 p.m. the package was missing. Police are investigating.
Jan. 21, 3:12 p.m.: An officer observed an accident on Rosedale Road and Acton Street. There were no injuries, but during the investigation the officer found one of the drivers did not have a license. The 48-year-old Watertown man was summoned to Waltham District Court for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Jan. 21, 7 p.m.: An officer driving on North Beacon Street saw a driver stopped at a light who was holding a cellphone in both hands and using both thumbs to touch the screen. The driver was stopped on California Street, and he produced a license that expired in September 2022. The 32-year-old Everett man was summoned to Waltham District Court for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.