The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Oct. 7, 3:30 p.m.: A woman went into Carter’s in the Watertown Mall and took seven items worth $205 and concealed them in a bag. She left without paying.
Oct 7, 7 p.m.: A man took seven Pokemon cards and a Pokemon S&V Box worth a combined $240 from Best Buy.
Oct. 7, 7:05 p.m.: While police were at Best Buy for the previous shoplifting incident security video showed another man taking Pokemon cards valued at $50.
Oct. 7, 8 p.m.: A package was taken from a home on Westminster Avenue. The package contained an Apple iPhone 16 Max Platinum, and FedEx confirmed that it had been delivered, but it was gone when the resident looked for it. Security video showed a Honda CRV pull up, and a person got out and took the package off the porch.
Oct. 8, 12:25 p.m.: A woman took $158 in merchandise from Carter’s.
Oct. 8, 1:15 p.m.: A man went into CVS on Mt. Auburn Street and took multiple items that cost $37.
Oct. 8, 4 p.m.: A man was spotted in the driveway of a home on Dexter Avenue. The resident did not recognize him, and noticed he had a BMW key in his hand. The resident realized it could be from a neighbor’s vehicle. Police were called and confirmed the man did not have permission to be in the vehicle. The man could not provide an explanation for what he was doing. Police arrested Victor Ortiz, 50, of Boston, on charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony.
Oct. 8, 10 p.m.: A woman put a large number of children’s clothing items and groceries in a cart in Target and left without paying. She had been in the store for about two hours and took $913.32 in merchandise.
Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m.: A man was seen taking numerous men’s clothing items off the shelves at Target and left without paying. He fled the area with $186 worth of items.
Oct. 9, 8:15 p.m.: A Sparkill Street resident heard a knock on the door at 8:15 p.m. and the woman at the door said she was from the government and was there to help the resident with a tax rebate. The woman followed the resident into the house and asked to take a picture of the resident’s Eversource bill and of the person’s credit card. The victim thought it was a scam and asked the woman to leave. She reported the incident to Police. The WPD advises that resident should verify the identity of any solicitor by checking their credentials with the appropriate regulatory body, do not let them into your home, and never provide personal information or make payments without confirming the legitimacy of the request.
Oct. 10: A banner fell down at Farina’s on Galen Street and employees found what appeared to be a BB hole in a front window. They were not sure when the damage occurred but believe it was within the last month.
Oct. 10, 11:45 a.m.: A resident came to the Police Station to report that a check had been altered. It was originally made to a law firm for $5,505, but had been changed to a different person and chased for $17,000.
Oct. 11, 4:41 p.m.: A man took 13 bottles of deodorant from the CVS on Mt. Auburn Street. They were worth approximately $30. He left on a bike.
Oct. 12, 3:50 p.m.: A man was seen taking items from Target. He was stopped and police ran a query that found he had seven active warrants from Boston District Court, with charges including three counts of larceny, one of Possession of a Class B drug, and three counts of knowingly receiving stolen property. Christopher Claudio, 36, of Worcester, was arrested for shoplifting and the warrants.
Oct. 13, 11:20 a.m.: A man walked into the Nike Store and tried on a pair of Air Max TW sneakers. He put his own shoes in the box and walked out wearing the new ones. They are priced at $140.
Oct. 13, 11:30 a.m.: A woman walked into the Target and took $441 in merchandise.
Oct. 14, 1:45 p.m.: Target security spotted a man take several bottle of wine and leave without paying for the $270 worth of items. Police located the man on Arsenal Street and he had four bottles concealed under his clothing and two more in his backpack. Allen Albert, 40, of Maine, was arrested on a charge of shoplifting.
How unlucky is Worcester’s Christopher Claudio to be the only klepto to be arrested in… what, weeks? Surely he has a case for selective prosecution. Nobody gets arrested in the Arsenal or Watertown Malls. Why would anyone shop at target when their prices have to cover $1,800 a week in theft?
I agree. I’ve only seen one arrest for all of these thefts. It’s disheartening.
It is. And it’s getting worse month after month. These thieves have nothing to fear, and they act accordingly. Nothing will change until they are punished for what they do, but it’s not going to happen in MA, or NY, or IL, or CA, etc., etc.
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