Man Falls Victim to Bail Scam, Stolen Vodka, More Bike Thefts: Newton Crime

NEWTON, MA – Editor's Note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Newton Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a Massachusetts Patch police report.

Monday, August 29

• A man reported that around 7 p.m. he locked his black and orange Trek Marlin 5 bicycle to a telephone pole on Tyler Terrace in front of the field house. He said he locked the bike with a cable lock. When he returned at 9 p.m. he said the bike and lock were gone.

• A past larceny was reported on the 300 block of Commonwealth Avenue. The caller said that sometime between the previous Thursday at 8 a.m. and Monday at 5 p.m., someone stole his Weber Q3200 grill and grill cover off of his back patio.

• A past larceny was reported at Pleasant Car Care on Watertown Street. The caller said that on August 10 at around 6:11 a.m. a black Ford Ranger entered the business, backed into the east side between Pleasant Car Care and Vast Dental and stole a red engine hoist from the rear of the business.

Tuesday, August 30

• An employee at Wegman's said that around 12:40 p.m. a man entered the liquor store and took two 1.75 liter bottles of Kettle One vodka and exited the store without paying.

• A man reported that he was the victim of a scam. He said he was contacted by an individual he believed to be a long-time friend. The person on the other end of the line told the victim he had been arrested in New York and needed to be bailed out of jail. He said to contact another person to arrange payment. When the victim called the woman she said the department did not accept credit cards over the phone and the only way to make a payment was through iTunes gift cards. The victim went to Best Buy and Target in Watertown to purchase gift cards and read the numbers over the phone. After a few days went by and he didn't hear from his friend, he managed to contact his actual friend, who had no idea what he was talking about.

Wednesday, August 31

• A caller on Walker Street reported his bike stolen. He said that his green Trek mountain bike had been stolen from the back end of his driveway with a combination lock on it.

• Two bikes were reported stolen at Lake Avenue and Rogers Street. The callers said that the bikes were stolen from the bike rack at the Gil Champagne Bathhouse at Crystal Lake about 30 minutes before the police arrived. The bikes were described as a black and green Trek Marlin 6 and a red and black Rock Hopper Specialized. Both bikes were locked with cable locks.

Saturday, September 3

• Vandalism was reported at Aquinas. The caller said between 6:30 p.m. the previous evening and 6:30 a.m. that day, someone had jumped over the fence of the property and moved the cinder blocks that kept a tarp weighed down. The tarp was also observed to be removed from its original place, which covered newly laid dirt.

• A breaking and entering of a motor vehicle was reported on Oak Avenue. The caller said sometime during the night, someone entered his unlocked car while it was parked in front of his house. His MacBook Pro computer was stolen, as well as some change, the caller told police.

Sunday, September 4

• A possible past breaking and entering of a residence was reported on Washington Avenue. The caller said that she and her husband woke up to find that their front door lock had damage to it, as well as the door handle. The door would no longer open and the key could not fit in the keyhole. There were scuff marks on the existing lock and it appeared to have been tampered with.

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