Multiple Reported Frauds, Alleged Aggravated Assault, Car Break-Ins: Last Week in Crime

Monday, July 11

• 4:23 p.m. - A Browne Street woman reported a fraud that dated back to April. She told police that on April 10 she found a Craigslist ad for a vacation home in Cape Cod. She contacted the user and made a reservation for a weekend in July. The user who posted the ad told her to transfer half of the cost of the house and a security deposit to a bank account. She was then instructed to send the rest of the costs prior to the reservation. The woman attempted to contact the Craigslist user who posted the listing and when that failed she found the owners of the Cape Cod residence. They denied posting a listing on Craigslist.

• 5:11 p.m. - A woman reported her scooter stolen from a driveway on Oakland Road. She told police it was parked in her legal parking spot and she had left it locked and covered. The scooter was not found on the tow file, and the woman's landlord and neighbors did not see anything.

Tuesday, July 12

• 6:52 p.m. - A past larceny was reported at a residence on Jordan Road. The caller said the bicycle was left unlocked in the backyard and was last seen July 10 at approximately 9 a.m. Police were provided with a description of the bike.

Wednesday, July 13

• 8:11 a.m. - Police responded to the intersection of Independence Drive and Gerry Road for a reported assault and battery. A man said that while on his run at around 7:29 a.m., he stopped a vehicle making a wrong turn on Gerry Road, a one-way street. The driver of the car continued going the wrong way and the man took out his cell phone to record the vehicle. The driver became agitated and reportedly pushed the man and knocked the phone out of his hand. After an exchange of words, the driver then reportedly chased the man and repeatedly punched him until he was able to break free. The driver fled the scene but was found after a search of the area. The driver was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

• 9:29 a.m. - An employee at a Beacon Street business reported a past larceny. The employee said an individual entered the store and asked for the location of the alcohol. The employee reportedly observed the person place a bottle of vodka in his bag. When he returned to the front of the store, the employee asked for identification and asked about the bottle of vodka. The man said he had purchased it at another store and left. Police searched the area for the man, but could not find him.

• 11:37 p.m. - A woman reported her car stolen from her residence on Beacon Street. She told police she just returned from vacation and noticed her vehicle was missing. Though the car was locked, it contained a valet key in the center console. The woman called her property's towing company to see if her vehicle had been towed, but the towing company had no record of towing her car. Police noticed three surveillance cameras mounted in the area where her vehicle was parked. The incident remains under investigation.

Thursday, July 14

• 8:45 p.m. - An employee of a local business reported her cell phone had been stolen from the front counter. She told police an individual had entered the store and asked if she could charge his phone. She said she would and the individual left the store. Minutes later, he returned and asked the employee if he could have his phone back. She handed it back to him and he reportedly lingered by the counter before leaving. After finishing with a customer, she noticed her phone was missing. The employee provided a description of the man, but police could not locate him after searching the area.

Friday, July 15

• 8:20 a.m. - A man reported that his car had been stripped and placed on cinder blocks on Centre Street. He found the vehicle with all of its tires stolen at approximately 7:30 a.m. that morning.

Sunday, July 17

• 3:40 p.m. - A woman reported she had been a victim of fraud. She told police that on May 10 she had wired money from her bank in Japan to a bank in Brookline to secure an apartment she found online. When she arrived in Brookline, she found the apartment was occupied by the rightful renters. She provided police with a copy of the transfer paperwork and an email from the person she had been working with the secure the apartment. The matter remains under investigation.