Belmont Police, May 29 to June 11: Check fraud, package theft, suspcious person at Wellington Elementary, neighbor disputes, hit and run, road rage 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, May 29

4:13 p.m.: A woman reported an older male driving an older Mercedes sedan was asleep behind the wheel at a stop sign in the area of Beech and Lexington streets. The vehicle started rolling towards oncoming traffic before straightening out and continuing down Lexington Street. Belmont Police searched for the sedan and found it in the area of Trapelo Road and Pleasant Street. Officers pulled him over and learned he did not have a valid license. It was expired and non-renewable. He was charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. His car was legally parked and was driven home by an Uber.

Saturday, May 30

1:44 p.m.: A limb from a large town tree limb during a high intensity storm damaged a fence at 89 Van Ness Road and landed in the driveway of 81 Van Ness Road. Public Works was notified.

6:31 p.m.: A contract worker doing construction on Ripley Road reported vandalism. A trash can and sign were knocked over in the front yard and staples were scattered over the yard next to the front window. Windows were open and tarps were ripped off the window frames. Nothing appears to be missing. Weather conditions that morning were severe with wind and rain.

Monday, June 1

8:56 a.m.: Package theft reported on Lewis Road. A refurbished Apple watch ordered from Amazon was delivered. The Amazon driver handed it to her. When she opened it, the Apple watch was not inside. There was transparent packing tape on top of the standard Amazon packing tape, which had the seal broken. She contacted Amazon several times but they have been uncooperative. They refuse to let her show them evidence caught on her doorbell camera proving the package was tampered with prior to her receiving it. They are threatening to revoke her membership if she keeps contacting them regarding this issue.

12:07 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported receiving a text message from 686-203-8880 demanding money. The text included the names of several of his family members and his address. He did not respond. 

4:45 p.m.: A suspicious person reported in the area of the Wellington Elementary School. An unknown male wearing a gray hoodie and sunglasses in a white vehicle was observed standing next to the fence that separates the St. Joseph’s parking lot and the school parking lot, appearing to try to conceal himself in a bush and staring at the reporting party and possibly the children in the playground. A staff member witnessed him leave in a gray Kia from the St. Joseph’s parking lot and turn onto School Street. He was described as a high school or college-aged white male. The reporting party believes he may have been “spooked” when he saw her take her phone out to call the police and left as soon as the police came. Officers were unable to find anyone in the area matching the description.

Tuesday, June 2

6 p.m.: A woman reported fraud. A physical therapy office notified her she would have to pay out of pocket for her 21st physical therapy appointment. She did not schedule any physical therapy appointments. She was informed her next appointment is June 3 at 7 a.m. Belmont Police waited until 7:30 a.m. on June 3 at the physical therapy office for any customers entering the facility. The person in question did not show up and has never been to the facility. This was a first time booking online. The company said they would look into the situation to find out what occurred. The woman filed a fraud report with her insurance company and has fraud alerts set up.

Wednesday, June 3

8:58 a.m.: A person was reported sleeping in the front vestibule of a Brighton Street building. Upon arrival, police observed a BlueBike, backpack and sweatshirt that appeared to belong to a homeless individual next to cardboard laid out on the concrete. The individual said he would be leaving. He provided his identity. Officers learned he has an extensive booking record including fraud, larceny, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and possession. The Brighton Street building is near a homeless encampment in Cambridge and the bike trail that leads to Alewife station. 

Thursday, June 4

11:08 a.m.: A motor vehicle was broken into on Harris Street. It was parked in the owner’s driveway on June 3 at 5 p.m. This morning, she noticed everything in the car was disheveled and out of place. Missing was $20 in quarters, $300 from the glove box and Rabanne Paco sparkle sequin designer shoulder bag worth approximately $565. The vehicle was unlocked. She was advised to always lock her vehicle. The outdoor camera was either disabled or did not activate as it had no footage of the incident. Neighbors also did not have any footage. 

12:08 p.m.: The owner of a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport reported vandalism to her vehicle. She was involved in a road rage incident with a male bicyclist. She was travelling on Blanchard Road heading to Brighton Street. After passing through the traffic light at Blanchard Road and Concord Avenue where Blanchard Road turns into Brighton Street, a large truck was ahead of her and moved around a bicyclist who was riding in the middle of the street. She followed the truck and passed the bicyclist. When she arrived at her Brighton Street destination, she was confronted by the bicyclist she passed. The male rider was screaming at her, “do you know what the speed limit is to pass a bicyclist!”  She was caught off guard and apologized to him. He walked up to her vehicle and ripped the rear windshield wiper from the back of her vehicle and threw it. He then rode away. She said he spoke with a British accent and wore an orange helmet.

Friday, June 5

9:17 a.m.: A Belmont woman reported stalking. Numerous nights a week she sees the same vehicle near her street when she’s walking her dog. It seems as though it may be following her. Earlier in the week it turned around in her cul-de-sac. She’s never seen or talked to the driver and doesn’t know if it’s a man or a woman. She is worried it may be watching her. Officers ran the vehicle’s registration and learned it is owned by a woman in Everett. She was advised to call next time she sees the vehicle. Officers were not able to find a number for the Everet woman. 

10:31 a.m.: A Belmont man reported his retaining wall along Common Street was damaged. The repair cost $900. He did not know how the damage happened until recently. A resident informed him that a TruGreen truck collided into his retaining wall. The witness said she was walking her daughter to school when she heard several cars beeping. She observed the TruGreen truck roll across Common Street from Slade Street. There was a hose attached to it that was dragging on the roadway. She thought the dragging hose was the reason people were beeping. She watched the truck roll over the curb and over the sidewalk, striking the retaining wall. She saw the wall crumble and the truck pull back onto Slade Street. There was minimal damage to the truck. The homeowner will contact TruGreen regarding the damage and cost of the repair. If issues arise he will contact the police regarding criminal charges.

12:17 p.m.: A Belmont man contacted Microsoft because he had trouble updating his email account. He was told his email was hacked and his personal information was compromised. He was referred to someone named Jason Miller (858-255-17250, who claimed he worked for the Federal Trade Commission. He told him he needed to open a new bank account and transfer funds to it, in the form of Bitcoin and gold. He bought $23,100 worth of Bitcoin and $146,720 worth of gold bars. He was told to make these transactions to lure the hackers into the account so they could find them. He believes he is being scammed and doesn’t know how to verify who is legitimate. He was advised to contact his bank and speak to the Social Security office. 

1:35 p.m.: An employee of an extended day program at a Belmont elementary school reported a direct deposit form left on her desk changing an employee’s bank account. She had no memory of who left the form. The employee contacted her one week later saying she did not get paid. She showed her the direct deposit form and learned she never filled it out and it wasn’t her signature. The bank where the money was deposited would not give her any information on the account. She said an employee who is out on leave has been hanging around the office. She doesn’t know if the employee has access to any files. 

3:59 p.m.: A Belmont man reported someone cashed a check he wrote to his insurance company for $5,846.76. He mailed it in the front lobby of 90 Concord Ave. Everyone in the building uses this mailbox. It is accessible to all who walk in the front door.  The check was cashed on April 29 and he recently learned his insurance company was not paid. The check was washed and payable to a man with a Rhode Island address who was arrested in East Providence for bank fraud. The East Providence Police Department confirmed he was homeless and his exact whereabouts are unknown. A phone number was provided. Officers called the number and a woman answered who said she had no idea who the man was.

4:40 p.m. The owner of a home on Horace Road said a male wearing black pants, a white t-shirt, white sneakers and a baseball cap took a bike rack and some bike tools he had on the sidewalk. He left the items on the sidewalk to put them in his car. When he went inside his house for a few minutes and came back, the items were gone. The Ring camera shows the male taking the items. He sees the man walk by his house often and believes he lives somewhere in the neighborhood. He did not know the male’s name or address. He believes it was a misunderstanding. He may have thought the items were free since they were on the sidewalk. He was advised to talk to the male the next time he sees him walking by to explain the situation and to call if the male denies taking the items. He was also advised to call if his items were returned.

Saturday, June 6

9:20 a.m.: A Belmont man who wrote a check for $17.24 on Jan. 18 and mailed it in the USPS mailbox at Brighton and Elliot Street on Jan. 19th said it was altered and made out to Mariah Melo for $3,300 on May 26. He is filing a claim with his bank’s fraud department. He was advised not to use USPS mailboxes and try to send mail directly through the post office. 

7:15 p.m.: A Belmont resident reported a neighbor placing dog feces on his door. When officers arrived the reporting party was in an irate state, pacing back and forth with the trash bag of dog feces. He said his neighbor placed the bag of feces in his door. When he arrived home he found the white trash bag full of dog feces in the door hinge of his back door to his apartment. He left a note on his neighbor’s door informing them not to place dog feces on his property again. Officers attempted to talk to the neighbor, but were unable to do so. At 9:10 p.m., the neighbor called the station to ask why officers were at his home. The officer asked him if he placed dog feces on his neighbor’s rear door and he said, yes. He said his neighbor’s dog has a history of defecating in their backyard and he does not pick up after him. He has picked up the feces in the past and informed him to pick up after his dog. He had enough and returned it back to him. He was informed he should not have done that. He said he does not want his grandchild to play in a yard with dog feces. The neighbor lets his dog free roam. Officers spoke to the reporting party and asked if he allowed his dog to free roam around the neighborhood. He became irritated and said it had nothing to do with the issue he is complaining about. He denied that his dog defecates in his neighbor’s hard and always keeps his dog on a leash and has bags on bags to pick up his dog feces. The neighbor was warned if he does something like this again, charges will be brought against him. 

Sunday, June 7

4:22 p.m.: A child’s stroller was stolen from the front porch of a home on Davis Road. The homeowner said he has been leaving the stroller on his porch for the past two years and has never had a problem with theft. The stroller is a Vista V2 worth approximately $1,000. Two people came by the house earlier that day to pick up children's toys via Facebook Marketplace. He believes that it was most likely not these people because they have been responsive and cooperative. There were no Ring cameras in the area. 

Monday, June 8

11:46 p.m.: A Belmont woman reported identity fraud and larceny. On July 15, 2025, an unknown person initiated the process of applying for student loans in her name. To date she has used $4,365 in her name and set up two separate accounts in her name for loan money to be deposited to from the Department of Education and Nelnet. The address used was a PO box in Lincoln, Nebraska. The loans were paid to Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was notified by Capital One Fraud Department of the unauthorized loans set up in her name. She discovered the situation because her credit score began to suffer as a result of the loans not being paid off. She has notified her financial institutions to protect her current assets. The investigation is ongoing.

1:50 p.m.: A man reported selling a Dell Pro Thunderbolt 4 Smart Dock Station to a woman in Belmont. The price agreed was $205. The financial transaction was completed through Venmo. One week after the transaction the woman filed a complaint with Venmo stating that the item was defective. Venmo refunded the money. However, the woman kept the dock station for one week before complaining it was defective. 

6:06 p.m.: A man walking his dog at the intersection of Park Road and Belmont Street was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene. The victim had a small abrasion on his right knee and a black scuff mark on his right arm. He fell to the ground after being struck walking his dog as he entered into the crosswalk on Park Road. He said the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound toward Belmont Street. He stood still because he did not want to get hit. The vehicle pulled up next to him and he yelled to the driver to slow down. The driver was a black male who said, “bro, I can do what I want.” He approached the driver side window and the driver said, “get the (expletive) out of my way). He responded, “or what?” The driver then turned his wheel and hit the gas, causing the passenger side of the vehicle to hit him. The vehicle made contact with him and caused him to fall down, then took a right onto Belmont Street Westbound. A witness traveling southbound on Park Road observed the altercation between the man walking his dog and a black BMW sedan. The man was next to the passenger side of the vehicle when it swerved around him and struck him. She saw the man fall. Officers were able to identify the offending driver and issued him a citation for leaving the scene of personal injury. 

Tuesday, June 9

9:54 a.m.: A Belmont woman reported someone attempted to open a loan in her name with City Bank. She received a notice that her application could not be processed and the loan was denied because the bank could not verify the accuracy of the credit information. She asked the bank who applied for the loan but they were unable to give her any information. The bank said they are investigating and the person has been blocked from proceeding. She has never done business with City Bank and has not opened any new lines of credit recently. She was advised to keep an eye on her credit score and make sure no new lines of credit have been opened in her name. 

10:41 a.m.: A Common Street resident reported a neighbor threatening him because he put a table on his porch. The neighbor threatened him by putting a bottle of WD-4 in his eye and threatened to blind him. He then said, “don’t try and defend yourself,” and then put an open palm in front to his face and punched his palm with his other hand in an attempt to scare him. He also reported damage to the property caused by the neighbor. Officers spoke to the neighbor about the ongoing dispute. He said he put a table out on the porch and when the neighbor complained about it, he moved it into the yard. He was putting WD-40 on his skateboard and arguing with his neighbor but did not put the WD-40 up to his eye or punch his hand in front of the neighbor’s face. He has had problems with prior neighbors and other people in the Belmont Community and has an extensive history of mental health issues. Both parties agreed to avoid contact with each other. 

12:59 p.m.: Suspicious activity reported at the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Parishioners and employees of the Temple said that at least three times since June 2nd, a small black drone was seen flying around the building across Route 2 from Arlington. It typically circles the building multiple times before flying back over Route 2 into Arlington. 

4:15 p.m.: A woman reported she was pulled over at 4 p.m. by a man she believes was not a police officer while she was traveling into Belmont from Arlington via Pleasant Street. When she was approaching the intersection of Pleasant and Brighton Streets, a white Honda Accord was stopped in travic. The light was red. She was approached by an unidentified male, white, 5-feet-9-inches, with green eyes, wearing a blue shirt and duty belt, but no firearm. The individual knocked on her window while she was stopped in traffic and shouted to her to pull over. She pulled over and the individual pulled behind her in either a blue or black Subaru Impreza. He asked her for her license and registration. She provided it and he returned to his vehicle for one or two minutes. He then returned to her driver’s side window and handed her license and registration back to her and said, “you’re driving aggressively and you will be getting a ticket.” The individual then drove off. She said he never identified himself as a police officer and does not believe he was a police officer.  A CJIS query revealed a Massachusetts State Police Officer conducted a query of her vehicle about 23 minutes before the alleged encounter. Belmont Police contacted the Medford State Police barracks to see if the vehicle conducted the motor vehicle stop and was advised he had not and was conducting patrol in a marked state police vehicle. Arlington Police also confirmed no record of the stop. There were no surveillance cameras in the area. It was later determined the incident actually occurred in Arlington and Arlington Police will be handling the investigation.

Wednesday, June 10

1:37 p.m.: A woman reported a man following her walking through Waverley Square. She has filed several past reports regarding this individual. She is concerned about the frequency she is seeing this individual. No words have been exchanged. She believes she knows his identity. Officers went to his apartment to speak to him. He said he likes to go on late night walks and appeared confused about why officers were speaking to him. He has a history of going on late night walks around Waverley Square for several years. 

Thursday, June 11

6 p.m.: A hit and run reported in the area of the Belmont Center underpass. A man driving his 2018 Ford on Leonard Street over the crosswalk at Concord Avenue stopped to allow traffic to take a left where Concord Avenue and Leonard Street intersect. A man wearing a cast in a Prius was at the stop sign at Channing Road yelling at him for allowing multiple vehicles to turn left. He then drove his car into the driver’s side rear tire of his truck and took off. Officers located the offending individual using the license plate. There is no significant damage to the truck and the owner will not be going through insurance or attempting to fix any damage. 

Belmont Police responded to 20 mental health and six domestic calls between May 29 and June 11.