Reported Cane Assault, Shoplifting, 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.

Thursday, July 7

• A 58-year-old Newton man reportedly struck a fellow driver with his cane following an accident at Beacon Street and Hammondswood Road. The alleged victim told police after the two-car accident both vehicles pulled over and the drivers got out. As he tried to take a picture of the vehicle with his cell phone, he said the man hit his forearm with the cane. The alleged victim described the strike as "more than a tap but less powerful than a full swing" and declined medical treatment. Police are seeking assault and battery charges against the 58-year-old man, who denied hitting the other driver with his cane.

• A woman reported a past theft of two bikes. She said the bikes were stolen from her house sometime between 4 p.m. on July 3 and 6:30 a.m. on July 4. One bike was located on the back porch and had a flat tire, and the other was in the basement of the house. The house is a two-family residence and has a shared basement accessible from inside the common hallway. The bikes are described as a black Trek 7.2 FX fitness road bike and a red Magnum Glacier Point Mountain bike with front and rear lights and a lock on the frame.

Friday, July 8

• Osvaldo A. Zeledon, 34, of Waltham, was cited for operating a motor vehicle without a license, a cracked windshield and failure to notify the RMV of an address change within 30 days. Police pulled Zeledon over at California Street near Faxon Street after observing a crack in his windshield more than three inches long.

• A man reported a larceny from a motor vehicle in the parking lot behind 88 Needham St. He told police that around 6 p.m. he parked his car and entered the AT&T store. Approximately 45 minutes later he returned and saw a money order he had left in his center console cup holder was missing. He believes he locked the car before entering the store.

Sunday, July 10

• Darrell Smith, Jr., 29, of Dorchester, was arrested for larceny over $250, aggrevated shoplifting, obstruction of justice, giving a false name after arrest and failure to appear upon recognizance. Police responded to the Bloomingdale's at 225 Boylston St. for a reported shoplifting. Smith was arrested and also had a default warrant out of Roxbury District Court for traffic offenses.

>>>Photo of Newton Police cruiser courtesy of Flickr user christopdesoto, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0