Police Log: Man Arrested for Shoplifting, Resident Victim of PPP Loan Scam

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.

Sept. 24, 10:30 a.m.: A resident received a call from someone claiming to be a representative from MasterCard and that the person had unclaimed property. The resident was asked for personal information. Afterward, the resident realized it was a scam.

Sept. 25, 2:45 a.m.: A Bancroft Street resident was awake when he saw two people jump in to his BMW rental car. They drove off. The car was recovered on Edenfield Avenue the next day with no damage. Police suspect the two people were involved in a series of break-ins in the area. A vehicle was broken into on Waverley Avenue, and the center console was rummaged through. And on Sept. 25, an unlocked motor vehicle was entered but nothing was missing.

Sept. 25, 4:43 p.m.: A Watertown resident received a pop-up on her cell phone saying that she had a virus. The pop-up said to buy a Norton virus protector for $130 to remove the virus. She paid the money, but realized it was a scam and notified her cell phone provider.

Sept. 25, 4:45 p.m.: A Pleasant Street resident was on her Macbook when the computer froze and a pop-up opened. It said her computer had been infected and it provided a number to call. When the resident called she was told to transfer $2,900 into BitCoin. She went to Galen Street to make the transfer and later realized it was scam.

Sept. 25, 2 p.m.: Two vehicles on Hilltop Road were broken into and rummaged through. Nothing was missing. They had been left unlocked.

Sept. 25: A vehicle was parked near the side entrance of the Stop & Shop on Pleasant Street. The owner went into the store for about 20 minutes and returned to find someone had taken a backpack with a laptop and other computer equipment, worth a total of $900.

Sept. 25: A vehicle parked on Lexington Street was broken into and $10 worth of quarters was taken. The vehicle was left unlocked.

Sept. 26, 3 p.m.: A man went into Target and stole $200 in merchandise. The man was stopped and after being given the Miranda Warning he admitted to taking the items. Renard Lomax, 34, of Boston was arrested for shoplifting.

Sept. 26: A Carroll Street resident noticed someone had popped the BMW emblem off the back of his vehicle. It occurred around the same time as the other break-ins on the night of Sept. 24 into 25.

Sept. 27, 12 p.m.: A package was delivered to Dwight Street and when the resident looked outside a minute later she saw a man take the package. She yelled at him to stop but he kept running. Then he got on a scooter and headed toward Sycamore Street. The package contained an Apple iPhone 16 Promax valued at $1,220.

Sept. 27: A woman went to cash $5,000 in Treasury Bonds and received a statement that the money had been seized to pay for a debt from 2021. She learned that that year someone opened a PPP Loan in her name for $20,833 and did not repay it. She had run credit reports since that time and nothing showed up. She is trying to work with the Federal government to resolve the issue.

Sept. 27, 11 a.m.: A motorcycle helmet was stolen off a motorbike left on Nichols Avenue. It was worth $500.

Sept. 28, 3:27 p.m.: Two women went into Ulta and took cosmetics, including a Valentino perfume valued at $265 and a Ralph Lauren bottle valued at $100.

Sept. 29: Two men went into CVS on Mt. Auburn Street and stole numerous items. One took $500 worth of cosmetics, and the other took $150 of shaving items and two containers of Tide detergent worth $50 and concealed them in a backpack.

Sept. 30, A vehicle was broken into on Belmont Street. It was rummaged through and a cell phone charger and a flashlight were taken.

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