Belmont Police log, Nov. 14-20: Motor vehicle break-ins, check fraud, bicycle theft, neighbor disputes

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, Nov. 14

3:20 p.m.: Belmont resident reported dispute with neighbor. They have been feuding for six years Today she walked outside and found tissues, broken glass and dog feces all over her yard. She also said her neighbor has been stealing her garbage bins, claiming they belong to him. She has tried talking to him, but he has been uncooperative. Two years ago, he threatened to chop off her head, so since then, she has stopped talking to him. She also believes he may have been responsible for killing her dog two years ago. She believes the dog was poisoned by him because her current dog ate rat poison that was found near the fence between both residences. Fresh Pond Animal Hospital has a record of the dog getting sick from rate poison. She was advised to call the police if the situation escalates.

4:40 p.m.: Bicycle theft at Belmont High School. A student left his bicycle on the bike rack near the main entrance to the high school this morning. It was gone this afternoon. It was a black Haro with white writing, worth approximately $400. It was not locked to the bike rack.

Saturday, Nov. 15

9:30 a.m.: A Slade Street resident reported some time overnight, both vehicles parked in his driveway were broken into. The gloveboxes and center consoles of both vehicles were open and rummaged through. It appeared nothing was missing from either vehicle. Both cars were left unlocked.

9:40 a.m.: Another Slade Street resident’s vehicle was also broken into. A generic and inexpensive Leatherman tool was missing. The car was unlocked. A neighbor’s camera system did not catch any activity in her driveway.

9:40 a.m.: Another Slade Street resident’s vehicle was broken into. Approximately $100 was missing from the glove box. It was left unlocked. The resident heard his dog barking at the sound of a car door closing and he thought it was odd. When he looked outside, he didn’t notice anyone outside but saw a car driving away. The camera system in his driveway did not pick up anyone near his vehicle.

Sunday, Nov. 16

12:45 p.m.: A woman reported a tree branch fell on her vehicle while she was driving on Townsend Road. It struck the front hood of her vehicle causing moderate damage.

3:55 p.m.: An abandoned vehicle reported on Fairview Avenue. It was parked there for one week and hasn’t moved. A CJIS query returned a status of active and registered to a Washington D.C. man. The vehicle had four Town of Belmont parking citations on the windshield dating from Nov. 12 to Nov. 15. The vehicle owner could not be contacted or located. The vehicle was subsequently towed under the civil disposition of removal.

Monday, Nov. 17

7:52 a.m.: A Knowles Road resident reported a motor vehicle break-in. The car was locked, but there were no signs of forced entry. A small bag containing multiple house keys and approximately 30 personal checks was stolen. A neighbor provided video surveillance camera footage showing two males walking down the street at approximately 3:57 a.m.

10:35 a.m.: Belmont residents reported someone attempted to cash a Bank of America check in the amount of $52,350 from their savings account. The bank declined the transaction. The same day, a transaction occurred in the amount of $43,500. Documents show the money was transferred to a Vanguard account under a man’s name who is unknown to them. She froze all her accounts and is filing a claim with Bank of America. She was also advised to contact the major credit bureaus.

Tuesday, Nov. 18

8:40 a.m.: A Belmont resident reported he mailed a check to the Belmont Light Department for $97 on Nov. 13. He was uncertain what US Post mailbox he dropped it in. When he checked his account this morning, he saw the check was altered, made out to someone else and cashed for $4,999.47. He notified Belmont Light and Santander Bank. His account was closed. The bank returned the money.

Wednesday, Nov. 19

5:23 p.m.: A woman driving a Honda Odyssey for Beaverbrook Step on Concord Avenue hit a pothole causing her airbags to deploy. The vehicle was towed. Belmont Fire and Rescue evaluated the passengers who declined further medical attention.

Thursday, Nov. 20

8:22 a.m.: A Belmont resident reported check fraud. He wrote a check on Sept. 8, 2025, for $500 and mailed it in the mailbox on Belmont Street and Falmouth Street in Belmont. On Oct. 25, he received notification via mail from Santander Bank that it appeared the check signed and generated by him was altered to read $1,000 and the payee changed to another person. He informed the bank the check was altered and is working with Santander to have his money returned to his account. He said he recalls seeing a black male in a postal uniform lurking around the mailbox at the time he mailed the letter. He looked unkept and found it strange for him to be in a postal uniform.

9:49 a.m.: A Hillcrest Road resident reported fraud. Several checks of his were cashed, but he had them all in his possession. On Nov. 2, 2025, his wife mailed a check to a yacht club for $335.33. She most likely dropped it off in the mailbox across the street from the post office on Concord Avenue. The yacht club did not receive the check. When he checked his Bank of America account, he observed several check withdrawals. There were five checks made out to different individuals in the amounts of $2,950, $2,850, $2,880, $2,980, and $2,860. All of the checks were cashed. The backs of the cashed checks did not match the back of his checks, and the signature line was different. He has contacted Bank of America and closed his account, which is under investigation.

11:08 a.m.: A Carleton Circle resident reported check fraud. Two Eastern Bank checks she mailed between Oct. 16 and Oct. 18 never reached their destination. One was for the Town of Belmont for $5,159.56. The other was for an insurance company for $1,913.75. When she learned the checks were not received by the recipients, she contacted the bank to stop payment on the checks. She was then informed that one check was attempted to be cashed at a bank in Brockton for $4,900 made payable to a male. He checking account has been closed and the bank is conducting an investigation. Both checks were mailed on Common Street by Raleigh Road.

4:11 p.m.: A Trapelo Road resident reported her neighbor installed a security camera in the direction of her bedroom window. She believes her neighbor is spying on her and is violating her privacy. Officers spoke to the offending neighbor, explaining the discomfort of the other neighbor. HE said he wanted to keep an eye on his dog when it is outside and that the camera faces the side of the residence where the fence gate is. He said he has no interest in looking into the neighbor’s bedroom. HE showed officers the view in the camera. You could see the neighbor’s bedroom window, but it was hard to see inside the window. Officers asked if he could reposition the camera so the bedroom window could be out of view. He moved it and showed the new angle no longer captures the bedroom window. He was advised to keep the camera in that position and not to adjust it. Officers advised the reporting party if she feels she is being harassed to go to Cambridge District Cout and file a harassment order and to call back if the camera is moved back in the direction facing her bedroom window.

5:39 p.m.: A Grant Avenue resident reported a motor vehicle break-in and $500 cash was missing from the center console, along with a Milwaukee pocketknife valued at $10. The vehicle was not locked.

8:59 p.m.: A Belmont Street resident reported a bag stolen from his front porch on Nov 14. He returned from a trip and was bringing in his luggage from the Uber. He brought up some luggage and left the bag on the porch. That night, he initially didn’t notice the bag was missing but realized it later when he was looking for his glasses. The bag was a Timbuktu messenger bag worth $139. Its contents were a pair of eyeglasses worth $1,700, a leather notepad worth $100 and a business card holder worth $40.

Belmont Police responded to three mental health and three domestic calls Nov. 14-20, 2025.