Belmont Police Log, April 26 to May 8: Tenant disputes, harassment, fraud, missing juvenile found 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. 

Saturday, April 26

2:05 a.m.: Responded to an altercation between roommates on Fairview Avenue. Both parties involved called 911. One of the roommates smelled strongly of alcohol. He said he was struck in the face by his roommate while he was eating and showed a napkin with a small amount of blood from his nose. He was requested to be evaluated and was transported to Mount Auburn Hospital. The other roommate said he was drinking and eating when the other roommate threw bones at him. He put his arm out and may have struck his roommate in the face. He was advised to contact the police if any issues arise when his roommate returns from the hospital.

10:23 a.m.: Crash at 99 Leonard St. A Belmont firefighter was backing the ladder truck into the fire station on Leonard Street when he saw a Subaru on Alexander Avenue take a right onto Leonard Street and strike a pedestrian crosswalk sign that was placed on the sidewalk. The driver continued driving toward Concord Avenue. He was unable to get the license plate number of the offending vehicle. The operator was an older white male. The crosswalk sign was bent, and pieces of the vehicle were on the ground next to the sign.

9:07 p.m.: A 14-year-old female juvenile was reported missing. She did not have a cell phone. The juvenile was located and brought to a safe location. The sergeant attempted to call the parents, but the phone was not connecting. The officer when to the house and informed the mother her daughter was found. The daughter left the house angry because of an argument she had with her mother about eating too much candy. The mother said they have been having struggles at home and the daughter is seeing a therapist.

Sunday, April 27

7:12 p.m.: A Tree branch fell on to a house on Bright Road. It was covering the backyard patio and part of the roof/side of the house. Two grills, one swing, a patio table and various patio furniture was damaged due to the force of the fallen tree branch.

10:18 p.m.: A Belmont parent reported a video of her children she is concerned about that is circulating on the internet. The video was posted on the Instagram page, “spicyboston.” It was of her sons and their friends doing a fantasy football punishment. A boy in a dog cage had various condiments thrown on him as punishment for finishing in last place in the fantasy football league. She was concerned for her children and friend’ well-being due to the fact the video was circulating on the internet and that they could be identified by “creeps.” The video was originally discussed on a Belmont parents Facebook group page. She was advised to report the video on Instagram to attempt to have it taken down.

Monday, April 28

9:21 p.m.: A disturbance on Belmont Street involving a landlord and a tenant. The tenant said the landlord was touching boxes outside the apartment. She was not home at the time but saw it happening on her Ring camera. He has an active harassment prevention order against her landlord. The landlord said new tenants were moving into the apartment today, which is why he was on the property The tenants were complaining about “low power” in the apartment. He went into the basement to the circuit breaker and discovered one of the components was loose. He denied moving any of the tenant’s belongings. The tenant said she received many alerts throughout the day detected by her phone for movement in the basement. She saw the landlord moving her boxes that were next to the washing machine. She sent the footage to the police. The video shows a female with the landlord picking up a cardboard box and moving it aside. She grabbed a bin and placed it next to where the box was moved. The video was downloaded and placed into the evidence locker.

Tuesday, April 29

7:36 p.m.: Threat reported on Olmsted Drive. A tenant in one of the apartments said his girlfriend who lives with him received seven phone calls from her ex-boyfriend, who is also the father of her child who is living in the same apartment. He said he was going to, “send his boys to come get him” (referring to the tenant). He also said he was going to “slap” and “stab” him. There has been an ongoing feud since she started dating him and he has called “thousands of times” making threats to hurt him and show up to the apartment. Two years ago, the tenant was stabbed by his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend and was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The girlfriend confirmed he has called making verbal threats towards her new boyfriend. She was asked to send screenshots of the recent calls and send them to the police. The tenant is fearful of the threats. They were asked if they feel safe staying in the apartment and they said they did. He was advised that he could go to Cambridge District Court to attempt to get a harassment prevention order. He was advised of his rights to file for an emergency harassment prevention order, which he declined. He said he will go to Cambridge District Court. A criminal application was filed against the offending party due to the threats for “threat to commit a crime.”

Wednesday, April 30

7:42 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported damage to her vehicle while it was parked in the Star Market Parking lot on Trapelo Road. When she returned, she noticed minor damage to the rear bumper of her Subaru Legacy. She believes the car was damaged while she was shopping inside Star Market. A store manager said he would try to get access to camera footage. The police will try to identify who was responsible for causing the damage to her vehicle once the footage is reviewed.

Friday, May 2

1:40 p.m.: A Belmont High teacher reported a red Gopher wagon containing sports equipment was taken from Harris field. It was left outside between gym classes. The wagon is valued at approximately $400 and the miscellaneous sports equipment inside the wagon is valued at approximately $500. A video and photo of the incident was provided. The video shows a female party, wearing a black hat, red shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers and a black bag on her shoulder, pulling the red wagon with something inside it. A photo was also provided that shows a male party wearing a black hat, black shirt, black pants, gray/black sneakers, pushing a baby in as stroller. It appears the two parties were together and were last scene exiting the track by Goden Street at Concord Avenue, heading East on Concord Avenue.

4:03 p.m.: A Belmont resident said he received a call from 646-226-0007, a person who identified herself as Rita Oliviera who works for the US Postal Inspection Service and gave an employee ID of 101631998. She said the postal inspectors intercepted a package in his name that contained two grips and three triggers, illegal firearms. The caller then said they needed to transfer him to the FBI to give a statement. He spoke to someone he believed to be the FBI and they requested to confirm his identity by providing his full name, address, phone number and social security number. He provided all the information they requested, and they sent him an FBI document via the app Telegram and informed him he needed to sign it to go with his statement to them. He signed and submitted the form and then they started to ask for his baking information. This is when he became suspicious and ended the call. He called the US Postal Inspection Service and informed them what happened. He gave them the information provided to him by the person who called, and they said she is not an employee. They also said they would not include the FBI in an investigation. Belmont Police informed him of the steps he needed to take to protect his identity and prevent fraudulent activity in his name.

3:40 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported her brother missing. She last spoke to him on April 29. He was planning to go to Boston to get last minute tickets to the Celtics game. She has been calling his cell phone for the past few days and on May 1, she got an answer. The person who answered said the phone was left at Pizzeria Rustico in Boston. She went to the restaurant and took possession of the phone. Her brother struggles with alcohol addiction and has a history of seizures. Belmont Police went to the brother’s home and did not observe anything to be out of order, although they could not see through the windows because the blinds were drawn down. The back door was unlocked, and Belmont Police were able to gain access into the basement from the common area. They did not observe anything that would indicate an emergency in the basement. The upstairs neighbors said they did not see or hear from him. Boston Police said he was not currently in custody. Local Boston hospitals did not have him in their care. Cambridge Hospital confirmed he was admitted as a patient on May 1, due to suffering a medical emergency on the MBTA train in Cambridge.

Saturday, May 3

7:14 p.m.: A Belmont resident approached the police at the intersection of Trapelo Road and Davis Road. She was visibly upset and requested assistance. Her husband helped translate. He said they have been struggling with their 16-year-old daughter who has been skipping school and misbehaving. She constantly defies and ignores the decisions both parents make. Today she left the house to hang out with friends without permission. Belmont Police spoke to the daughter who said her mother is very controlling and does not want her to have a social life. She said she would come home soon. Belmont Police advised the parents she would be home soon.

Sunday, May 4

1:29 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported harassment. Four months ago, she matched with a man on the dating app Hinge. They spoke on the app for some time and then moved to texting on their personal phone numbers. After about 20 minutes conversing, she felt uncomfortable and stopped communicating with him. She did not remember what was said in the texts. She deleted the texts and phone number and reported the man to Hinge after the conversation. On May 1, she received an email from Hinge informing her the man’s account was suspended and no longer active. On May 3, she received texts from him that said, “voodoo is in full intent, the folder will be sent to Tufts for extortion,” and “going to f… up your life.” A voicemail was also left saying, “call me back.” She spoke to him on the phone in the past and said she recognized his voice. A screen shot from her Hinge profile was also sent. Texts were from a now disconnected phone number. She believes he is retaliating for getting his Hinge account suspended. She said she will contact Hinge for more information on him and will forward it to the Belmont Police. She also provided a photo of him from his Instagram profile to the police.

Monday, May 5

9:36 a.m.: Collision at the intersection of Trapelo Road and White Street between a 2017 Mini Cooper operated by a Watertown man and a 2022 Volkswagen operated by a Watertown woman. There was heavy damage to both vehicles and both were towed. The operator of the Mini Cooper was transported to the hospital. The operator of the Volkswagen was issued a citation for failure to yield.

6:32 p.m.: Collision at the intersection of Common Street and Hastings Road between a 2020 Subaru operated by a Belmont man woman and a 2024 Volvo operated by a Chestnut Hill woman. The operator of the Subaru was issued a citation for failure to stop/yield.

Tuesday, May 6

12:08 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported fraud. She received a call this morning from an anonymous person pretending to be from Medicare who she gave her personal information to, including her Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security number. There is no suspicious activity at this time on any of her accounts. He reached out to Social Security, IRS and three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) She was advised to notify her credit card companies and watch for suspicious activity on any of her personal or finance accounts.

5:37 p.m.: Collision at the intersection of School Street and Fairview Avenue between a 2013 Nissan operated by a Waltham woman and a 2018 Subaru operated by a Belmont woman. The operator of the Nissan was issued a citation for failure to stop.

Wednesday, May 7

2:23 p.m.: An electric scooter (Segway Ninebot Max) stolen from Belmont Middle and High School. A student said it was taken by someone he met through a mutual friend. He let him ride it and it was not returned. The value of the scooter is $350, and it has a coded lock attached to it. The suspect is a black male with dreads, 5-feet-7-inches tall, wearing a red hoodie with white flowers on it, gray sweatpants, red and white sneakers.

4:45 p.m.: A Claflin Street resident reported a tree limb fell from their neighbor’s property into their backyard. They share a fence. He tried talking to his neighbor about removing the tree limb from his property, but he hasn’t been cooperative. Belmont Police attempted to speak to the neighbor’s wife, but she was argumentative and uncooperative. She said her husband was in Greece and the tree limb is not her problem because it is now on her neighbor’s property.

5:56 p.m.: A 95-year-old woman with dementia was reported missing by a B Street resident. She was last seen at 4:42 p.m. An Apple Air tag was sewn into her vest for the family to keep an eye on her. However, it would not update in its current location due to its possible distance from home. The missing woman’s primary language is Spanish. The airbag showed the location and officers were able to locate her. She said she was collecting firewood to prepare dinner. Belmont Fire and Rescue evaluated her. She did not appear to suffer any injuries but was unsteady on her feet.

Thursday, May 8

9:58 a.m.: Starbucks on Trapelo Road reported an accident. One of the vehicles left the scene. The owner of the vehicle that remained on the scene was exiting the Starbucks parking lot, waiting until it was safe to turn right onto Trapelo Road. Without warning, the other car backed into her as it attempted to pull out of a parking spot. The male operator offered to give her $200 cash toward visible damage to her rear bumper. She told him she was going to call the police. The other driver said, “I’m in the Union. I don’t have time for this.” She was able to get his license plate number to the other vehicle belonging to a Watertown resident. Officers left him a message. He called back, stating he collided with the other vehicle while backing up. He was frustrated because the impact was minor and the only visible damage was scuff marks to the rear bumper on the driver’s side. He offered the woman $200 on the spot and more money if a reputable body shop said the cost to repair or replace would be higher. He said the woman began to use swears and curse at him. He admitted he deliberately left the scene but it was only because of her language and because they could not reach an agreement. He filed a claim with his insurance. He was informed a criminal application would be filed for leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage.

10:05 a.m.: Collision between a Belmont Police cruiser and a 2012 Buick at the intersection of Common Street and Palfrey Road.  The operator of the Buick was stopped at a stop sign on Palfrey Road and Common Street. He was attempting to go straight across the intersection onto Payson Road. He looked left and saw a line of cars in the parking lane and a line of cars stopped in the travel lane. He began to cross the lane of travel when he saw a Belmont Police cruiser driving on Common Street, approaching him. He thought the cruiser was doing "police stuff." His car was struck. He seemed confused an dunsure of how his car ended up parked on Palfrey Road. There was moderate damage to the rear drivers's side of his vehicle. The operator of the police cruiser said he was en route to a call for service. He had his emergency blue lights and siren on. vehicles were pulled over to the side of the road for hiim to pass. As he approached the intersection of Palfrey and Common, a vehicle pulled out from Palfrey from his right and into the lane of travel. HIs estimated speed was at most 30 mph. Upon the vehicle seeing his cruiser, it stopped in the middle of the road. He applied his brakes and attempted to swerve to the right to avoid contact but there was no room to do so. The police cruiser was towed from the scene.

10:22 a.m.: The administrative director of Youbellor Child Academy in Belmont reported one of her employees is out for medical treatments and is frequently hospitalized in New Hampshire. A woman who lives in Medford and has no affiliation with the academy has been posting on the academy’s Facebook page and website inaccurate information about the employee who is out frequently for medical treatments. She has replied to the woman’s posts, both on Facebook and the website, asking her to stop posting false information. The woman has refused. She has brought this issue to the legal department of the academy. He was advised to call if the police could be of further assistance and to advise staff to call police if the woman shows up at any of the locations.

4:30 p.m.: Winn Brook Elementary School reported suspicious activity. The principal said a former employee has been visiting the school without permission. He used to work for the after school program but was let go. He has had multiple encounters with Belmont Police. The head of the after school program said he has stopped by multiple times and usually comes on Wednesdays between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. She was asked if she would like a no trespass order. She said she needs to talk to the superintendent first.

6:46 p.m.: Dispute between neighbors in a four-unit residence. One neighbor is complaining the other neighbor bangs on the walls. There have been past noise complaints at the same address. She has three children on the autism spectrum who can be rambunctious and tend to run and jump around the house making noise. She does her best to control them but it can be difficult at times. The neighbor repeatedly bangs on the shared wall when her children make noise. This has become more frequent and she soen’t know what to do. She feels it is becoming harassment. Officers spoke to the offending neighbor who said he does bank on the walls when the children are making noise. Officers explained this was not a proper response. Both parties were advised to contact the Belmont Housing Authority to resolve the situation and call the police if necessary. They were also advised to speak to each other if they feel comfortable doing so to reach a mutual understanding.

Belmont police responded to 10 mental health and four domestic calls between April 26 and May 9.