Belmont Police Log, Oct. 11-17: Checks stolen from mailboxes, overnight car break-ins and more

The following are excerpts from the Belmont Police log as made available by the Belmont Police Department. The log is public and available for review. All persons are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.  

Friday, Oct. 11

12:40 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported someone used his identity to claim lottery winnings on July 7, 2023. He received a letter from the IRS showing he needed to pay $620 in taxes for the winnings. He received a similar letter in the past from the IRS showing he needed to pay $16,134. His social security number was used in Washington, DC and Virginia to claim these lottery winnings.

3:40 p.m.: Attempted motor vehicle break-in reported by a Hawthorne Street resident. The vehicle was rummaged through. The only thing missing is a Blavor solar power bank worth $25.

6:37 p.m.: Collision at intersection of Mill Street and Stanley Road between a 2012 Honda operated by a Watertown woman and a 2018 BMW operated by a Lexington man. The operator of the Honda said he saw a deer crossing Mill Street. He was coming to a stop to allow the deer to safely cross the road. He did not come to a complete stop before being rear-ended by the Honda. The Honda was towed from the scene. The operator of the Honda was issued a citation for following too closely.

6:50 p.m.: A Belmont resident riding his bike on Brighton Street on the bike path was approached by two males on scooters, both with ski masks on. One male pulled the bike away from the victim and said if he wants it back, he would need to give him $150. He gave him his Instagram account information and said he would get in touch about payment. The males then rode off on the scooters will pulling the bike. The bike is a red Big Ripper valued at $1,200. He visited the Instagram account and recognized the male, approximately 18, in the photo. He said he would let the police know if the individual reaches out to him.

Saturday, Oct. 12

3 a.m.: Vehicle illegally parked on Creeley Road was towed and license plates seized due to revoked insurance and unregistered motor vehicle.

3:51 a.m.: Three suspicious individuals wearing black face masks with hoods over their heads on Beech Street heading in the direction of Wilson Avenue. Attempted to question them but they fled. A resident in the area of Walnut and White Streets said she saw the individuals on her surveillance camera. One attempted to get into her car and another attempted to open her back door. Two of the suspects were taken into custody by the Watertown Police. The third suspect was later located. All three were arrested. Two were charged with attempt to commit a crime and possession of burglarious instrument.

9:49 a.m.: Francis Street resident reported moped stolen from driveway overnight. It was later found damaged on Sabina Way. It had significant damage to it. Detectives are investigating.

12:25 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported dropping off mail at mailbox on corner of Common Street and Raleigh Road. One of the envelopes contained a check made out to AAA in the amount of $61. She was later informed by Santander bank that the check was washed and altered and cashed for $17,489.44, payable to Sidney Pereira Tavares. The victim filed a claim with Santander’s fraud department and the post office.

12:45 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported her wallet was stolen while she was moving items from her vehicle into her home. The vehicle doors were open. Inside the wallet was her driver’s license, health insurance card, Bank of America credit card, Bank of America debit card, Apple credit card, Jet Blue credit card and Southwest credit card. Several purchases were made on her debit and credit cards before she was able to cancel them.

3:50 p.m.: A Wilson Road resident reported a motor vehicle break-in overnight. Nothing of value was inside the car except $5 spare change missing from center console. The vehicle was unlocked.

Sunday, Oct. 13

4:30 p.m.: Unwanted person reported at CVS on Leonard Street. A man was filming customers and making them feel uncomfortable. The staff has told the unwanted person in the past not to return. Officers advised the unwanted person he was not allowed to come back. The staff was advised to obtain a no trespass order.

5:40 p.m.: The Spirited Gourmet reported a suspicious phone call from a male identifying himself as a US Marshall. He asked an employee about the security of the store, who was in charge, how many people were working, who was responsible for the keys and what time the store closed. He also asked for her personal number. An officer remained on the scene until the staff left. The owner of the store was also notified.

Monday, Oct. 14

8:20 a.m.: Hillside Gardens/Ace Hardware on Blanchard Road reported an attempted break-in. The manager said there was damage to the side entrance. Surveillance camera footage will be examined.

Tuesday, Oct. 15

7:31 a.m.: Collision between a car and an electric scooter at the intersection of School and Washington Streets. The scooter was heading toward the Chenery Upper Elementary School and the vehicle was turning left onto School Street when they collided. The operator was knocked down, but uninjured. A witness assisted. The driver a Belmont High student, apologized. The victim told her he was fine. She said she tried to stop but there was not enough distance.  Officers advised her to call 911 in the future if she is ever involved in an accident.

4:27 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported five fraudulent checks written on her Citizen’s Bank checking account in 2023 and 2024. Two other checks for Belmont Light and Harvard Medical were missing and never cashed. The victim wrote four checks ranging from $48.53 to $228.25 that were washed and cashed for larger amounts ranging from $1,028.25 to $7,491.10 for someone by the name of Jennifer Santiago, Annel Santana out of Mount Auburn Hospital and Robert Ramon Burgos Brit. Citizens Bank has blocked the missing checks and is seeking reimbursement for the victim for the total loss of $19,226.30. The victim was also advised to notify all her financial institutions of the situation and monitor her credit score. She mailed the bills with the checks at a local mailbox. She has been advised to mail bills inside a U.S. Post Office.

8 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported receiving an email from someone threatening to release inappropriate videos of her if she did not send $1,950 of bitcoin. The video was obtained by hacking the victim’s computer. The email included a photo of the victim’s house.

10:07 p.m.: A 2017 Toyota operated by a Belmont resident collided into a tree on Brettwood Road. The operator was injured. She said she was very tired and the next thing she knew, she crashed into a tree. She was transported to Mount Auburn Hospital. There was damage to the tree and heavy front-end damage to the vehicle. The fire department had to cut off the hood. The vehicle was towed.

Thursday, Oct. 17

9:11 a.m.: Three-car collision between a 2016 Honda operated by a Belmont man and a 2013 Honda operated by a Cambridge woman and a 2020 Toyota operated by a Belmont man on Concord Avenue between Myrtle and Goden Streets. A citation was issued to the operator of the 2016 Honda for failure to stop.

11:17 a.m.: Collision at intersection of Pleasant and Leonard Streets between a 2011 Toyota operated by a Malden man and a 2013 BMW operated by a Belmont man. Both operators were injured and transported to hospitals. The operator of the Toyota was struck while driving from Clifton to Leonard Street by the BMW who drove through a red light at the intersection of Leonard and Pleasant Streets and struck a pole at the corner. The operator of the BMW was issued a citation for failure to stop at a red light.

11:31 a.m.: A Belmont resident reported fraudulent activity on her Leader Bank personal checking account. A check for a bill with payment she mailed inside a mailbox on Common Street and Raleigh Road was washed. The amount was changed from $500 to $9,652.01. She was advised to mail checks inside the post office.

Belmont Police responded to four mental health and one domestic call between Oct. 11 and Oct. 17.