Crime & Safety

Watertown Police Log: Aug. 29 to Sept. 4

Drunk driver tries to flee from police, man caught for string of fraudulent credit card charges and purse thief tracked down in Brookline.

The following arrest information was supplied by the Watertown Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction

Arrests

Sept. 1, 1:37 a.m.: An officer spotted a vehicle run a red light on Mt. Auburn Street at Arlington Street, and the driver was pulled over, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. The officer detected a strong odor of alcohol on the man’s breath. Andrew Power-Koch, 29, of 11 Holmes St. in Cambridge, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol – a second offense, and failing to stop.

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Sept. 1, 1:19 p.m.: Police went to Pierce Road on a report of a domestic disturbance, Lawn said. Ariel R. Gernes, 23, of 120 Pierce Road in Watertown, 23, was arrested on a charge of domestic assault and battery.

Sept. 1, 3:59 p.m.: Target security called police when they spotted a man they suspected of credit card fraud in the store, Lawn said. Police spoke to the man and found that he had six warrants in his name, Lawn said. Christopher J. MacNeil, 25, of 15 Highland Ave. in Watertown, was arrested on six warrants from Newton District Court on charges of check forgery. Watertown Police investigated further, Lawn said, and found that he has stolen a credit card from his employer and used it many times. Additional charges of 11 counts of credit card fraud of under $250 and one charge of credit card fraud of over $250 were filed, Lawn said.

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Sept. 1, 7:11 p.m.: An officer on radar patrol on Main Street clocked a car going 50 mph in a 35 mph zone, Lawn said. The driver was pulled over and he did not have a Massachusetts driver’s license. Erik Winston Burrero-Roman, 29, of 15 Leicester Street Apt. A in Brighton, was arrested on charges of speeding and unlicensed driving.

Sept. 2, 11:13 a.m.: Police responded to a domestic disturbance on Townly Road. They arrested Cesar Gonzalez, 24, of 3 Townly Road in Watertown, was arrested on a charge of domestic assault and battery, Lawn said. Gonzalez also had a restraining order put on him. He returned to the area and was arrested a second time, at 5:22 p.m., on a charge of violating a restraining order, Lawn said.

Sept. 4, 1:43 a.m.: A car with a flat tire was spotted driving down Orchard Street by a police officer, and when the officer tried to pull over the car, the driver sped up and ran a stop sign at Orchard and Common streets, Lawn said. The driver of the 2005 Honda Civic then failed to stop at the light at Common and Mt. Auburn streets, or the light at Irving Street on Mt. Auburn St. The car turned left on Patten Street and the woman driving parked and ran from the car. The officer ran her down, but she resisted at first. Lawn said. Laura A. Kraus, 25, of 19 Patten St. Apt. A in Watertown, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, three counts of failing to stop, marked lane violation, negligent driving and resisting arrest, Lawn said.

Sept. 2, 7:49 a.m.: Police were called to Sexton Street for a domestic disturbance, Lawn said. Michael T. Chapman, 224, of 7 Sexton St. in Watertown, was arrested on a charge of domestic assault and battery.

 

Incidents

Aug. 29, 9:11 a.m.: The owner of Watertown Tile found that someone had thrown a brick through the glass door of the business, Lawn said. No one entered the store, however.

Aug. 29, 3:18 p.m.: A dumpster was stolen from Maximo’s on Mt. Auburn Street.

Aug. 29, 7:26 p.m.: A homeowner on Walnut Street found his screen front door was removed and the glass was shattered, and another resident on the third floor found that the front door had been shattered, Lawn said. No one entered the homes.

Aug. 30, 4:36 p.m.: A 1995 Honda Civic was stolen from Berkeley Street sometime between 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 and 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 30, Lawn said.

Aug. 30, 5:39 p.m.: The owner of a 2010 Toyota Prius reported that two hubcaps were stolen while it was parked on Berkeley Street, Lawn said.

Aug. 30, 6:09 p.m.: A woman shopping in Marshall’s at the Arsenal Mall discovered that $1,200 in cash and two credit cards were taken from her bag while she was shopping, Lawn said.

Aug. 30, 8:58 p.m.: A bicycle that had been locked up at the Arsenal Mall was reported stolen, Lawn said. It was a blue Haro BMX bike with skull decals on it.

Aug. 31, 8:43 a.m.: The custodian at the Cunniff School discovered a piece of the fence surrounding the playground was damaged, Lawn said.

Sept. 1, 9:32 a.m.: Pry marks were discovered on the door of an electrical room at the Arsenal Mall, Lawn said.

Sept. 2, 12:11 p.m.: A woman spotted a man taking a bicycle from the porch of her Kondazian Street home and ride away on it, Lawn said. Them man was a white male, around 30 years old and had a shaved head. The bike is a bright-yellow Hardrock mountain bike.

Sept. 3, 11:57 a.m.: An iPhone was taken from a backpack while the owner was playing basketball at Casey Memorial Park, Lawn said.

Sept. 3, 4:05 p.m.: A woman left her bag in a cart at Target, and when she returned it was gone, Lawn said. The bag contained $550 in cash among other items. Store security reviewed security cameras and saw a man they recognized as a 20-year-old from Brookline. Police in Brookline were contacted and they confronted the man, who confessed and returned the money, Lawn said.

Sept. 4, 9:43 a.m.: A closet in the rear of the Boys & Girls Club was found open, and three basketballs and possibly some jerseys were missing, Lawn said.

Sept. 4, 12:28 p.m.: An Perkins School for the Blind employee found that the rear passenger side window of her 1997 Chevy was removed and her purse was missing, Lawn said. A small amount of cash and credit cards were in the purse.

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