The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Arrests
Jan. 9, 1:45 p.m.: Police responded to Home Depot when security spotted a man taking items and putting them under his clothing. When he was stopped, the man had $984.23 worth of merchandise. The items were recovered, but some of the packaging had been cut open. The 35-year-old homeless man was arrested on a charge of shoplifting by concealing merchandise.
Jan. 12, 12:40 a.m.: A caller reported seeing a vehicle that had possibly crashed into a guard rail in the parking lot of an office complex on Walnut Street. Police arrived and saw a Jeep in the parking lot and saw some damage to the railing. However, it did not appear that the Jeep had struck it. When officers spoke to the driver, he appeared to be impaired and had an odor of alcohol on his breath. The man admitted to having eight drinks before driving. He failed field sobriety tests. The 21-year-old Watertown man was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Incidents
Jan. 6, 7:32 p.m.: A Palfrey Street resident reported that a package had been taken sometime between Dec. 5 and Dec. 7. The man told police he had purchased a limited run video game valued at $120, along with a $20 toy from an online store. It had been confirmed delivered, but when he returned home the package was not there.
Jan. 7, 12:42 p.m.: A man went into 7-Eleven in East Watertown and tried to make a purchase using a credit card. When the card was declined, the customer got angry, picked up a 12-pound bucket of ice melt and threw it at the clerk. He was hit in the head, but was not injured. The customer fled but police are trying to identify him from security pictures.
Jan. 7, 2:53 p.m.: A Watertown man said that his laptop had been taken from his vehicle. He told police he was not sure where the vehicle, a 2018 Mercedes, was parked when the theft occurred, or if it took place in Watertown. He also said he believes the vehicle had been left unlocked.
Jan. 7, 4:06 p.m.: A teen had left a backpack for a friend in the mailroom of an apartment building on Main Street on Dec. 7. When the friend went to find the backpack, it was gone. The bag contained a calculator worth $200.
Jan. 7, 10:17 p.m.: A father reported that his daughter had been approached by a man who was acting strangely. The girl, who is 17, was in line at CVS in Watertown Square and a man behind her in line was standing very close to her. The man said, “Can I get your number? You should come home with me. I live right around the corner.” Then the man left the store. The man is described as a white male in his 30s with dark hair.
Jan. 8, 8:05 a.m.: A Boylston Street resident reported that her vehicle was egged sometime overnight. Some egg also got on her home’s storm door.
Jan. 8, 1 p.m.: A construction worker who is working at Arsenal Yards went into the building and left his tool bag for just a few minutes. When he returned, the tools were gone. They were worth $800.
Jan. 9, 10:01 a.m.: Newton Police spotted someone cutting wires off a utility pole on Watertown Street. Watertown police responded and found the man and also saw a freshly cut wire. The man admitted to cutting the wire with the intent to sell the copper in the wires. Police also recovered the pliers he used to cut the wires. The 44-year-old Everett man was summonsed to Waltham District Court for malicious destruction of property over $1,200 and possession of a burglarious instrument.
Jan. 9, 2:15 p.m.: Police were called to an apartment building on Mt. Auburn Street after he allegedly caused damage to the building. The tenant took a fire extinguisher and threw it it through a plate glass window on the second floor and shattered a basement window. He also damaged the fire extinguisher cabinet. In total he did $4,000 in damage. The man was gone before police arrived. The manager said he was angry over a long standing disagreement with the building’s management. The 58-year-old Watertown man was summonsed to Waltham District Court on seven charges of malicious destruction of property under $1,200. On Jan. 10 at 5:04 p.m., police received a call from the building owner who said that the tenant had threatened him after being charged by police. Police gave the tenant an additional charge of intimidating a witness.