Table of Contents
July 16
4:54 p.m. — Officer Dennis DeFelice responded to Ocean Avenue for a reported motor vehicle crash. DeFelice met the operator, a juvenile who was visibly upset and shaken, who said she had dropped a lip gloss on the floor of the vehicle and struck a utility pole while reaching down to retrieve it. DeFelice observed moderate damage to the right front of the vehicle and damage to the pole consistent with the crash. The municipal light department responded to the scene and deemed the pole safe. The vehicle was towed by a private service, DeFelice submitted a crash report, and the matter was documented as involving no crime.
9:47 p.m. — Officer Robert Picariello responded to West Shore Drive to take a report of suspicious activity that had occurred earlier in the evening. A homeowner told Picariello that at about 8:17 p.m. she discovered a man in her backyard, and that when her husband went out to confront him, the man said he was checking plot lines for a local bank. The homeowner said neither she nor her husband had been told to expect anyone and that the household is under agreement to sell the home, with a closing scheduled that week. She said the man could not produce identification, told her husband he had come in through a side gate, and left without any apparent vehicle; she photographed him before he left, and her real estate agent later told her she was also unaware of any planned visit. The homeowner secured all doors and windows while she tried to determine whether the visit had been legitimate. After returning to the station to write the report, Picariello learned the visit was most likely a legitimate one by a plot-plan company responding to an email sent that day, and he attached the supporting message to the report. The matter was recorded as involving no crime.
July 18
1:55 a.m. — Officer Samuel Rizos responded to Casino Road for a fraud report. A resident told Rizos that at about 9:30 the previous evening he received an email appearing to come from Xfinity thanking him for registering a new iPhone, though he said he does not own an iPhone and did not click anything in the message. He said that shortly afterward his cellphone began behaving erratically and then shut down, and that he simultaneously lost access to his email account, and he alleged that someone had gained access to both. Rizos advised the resident to monitor his bank accounts closely and provided guidance on protecting his identity. The resident said he was satisfied with the conversation and would call back if the situation escalated, and the matter was documented as involving no crime.
July 20
1:30 p.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded to Atlantic Avenue to take a report of a past incident. A resident told Mastrangelo that he had been out of town visiting family over the weekend of July 11 and returned to find several items missing from his home, alleging that someone had broken in. Mastrangelo documented the missing property, which the resident said had all been taken from his kitchen with the exception of a weed trimmer. The resident said he did not suspect anyone in particular and that there were no signs of forced entry, adding that he believed someone had entered through an unsecured second-floor sliding door. Mastrangelo documented the matter as an open felony larceny and forwarded the case to the Criminal Investigation Division.
9:16 p.m. — Officer Robert Picariello responded to Pickwick Road to take a report of a phone scam. A resident told Picariello that he had received a Google security alert earlier in the day and later received a call from someone claiming to be from Coinbase, the digital wallet where he kept bitcoin. The resident alleged that after speaking with the caller for a period of time, he was persuaded to disconnect and reconnect his online wallets in a manner that left the callers in possession of his bitcoin. He told Picariello he did not provide any other personal information and had already filed a report at the federal level with the FBI. Picariello documented the matter as an open felony larceny over $1,200 by false pretense.
July 21
8:58 p.m. — Officer Jason McDonald and Officer Robert Picariello responded to Creesy Street for a complaint that children were allegedly throwing rocks at passing cars. Officers checked the area on arrival but could not locate any children or find rocks in the roadway. While they were on scene, a driver called police to report that her vehicle had been struck by an unknown object before officers arrived. McDonald met the driver nearby on Lincoln Avenue and inspected her vehicle with her; no damage was visible, and she told McDonald she would look again the following day in daylight. The matter was documented as involving no crime.
July 23
5 p.m. — Officer Tyler Bates responded to Corinthian Lane for a report of a possible scam. A resident told Bates that she had received a phone call from a person claiming to represent Walmart support who said she had made a $919.45 purchase. She said she spoke with the caller briefly but did not provide any personal information. Bates advised the resident that the call was a scam and blocked the number on her phone. The resident said she would contact her two banks the following day to confirm there had been no fraudulent activity on her accounts, and the matter was documented as involving no crime.
9:25 p.m. — Officer Robert Picariello responded to a laundromat on Pleasant Street for a reported disturbance over money. Two customers waiting outside the business told Picariello that a $20 bill had fallen from one of their pockets while they were loading a washing machine, and that when a store employee found the bill and asked whether it belonged to him, he said it did not, because he had not yet realized he had dropped it. When he returned and said the money was in fact his, the employee did not immediately believe him, and he became upset and caused a disturbance while asking for it back, which the report notes made the employee still more reluctant to hand it over. After speaking with both sides and finding the customer's account consistent, Picariello saw the bill returned, and the parties went their separate ways. The matter was documented as involving no crime.
July 24
1:40 p.m. — Officer Douglas Mills took a report in the station lobby from a Hines Court resident about unsolicited mail. The resident told Mills that since May she has received more than 20 packages addressed to her that she did not order, including three that arrived that day, and that when she brought them to the post office she was told packages cannot be returned to the sender once delivered and was advised to come to the police station. Mills and the resident opened the three packages together: two contained plastic zip ties and the third a plastic children's toy, and Mills noted the items appeared to be inexpensive goods consistent with an online marketplace. Asked whether she had seen any fraudulent charges, the resident said she had noticed none and had received no bills for any of the deliveries, adding that some earlier packages had arrived empty and others had contained similar odds and ends. Mills advised her that if the post office would not return the packages she should dispose of them, and that she could call police to assess any delivery she considered a safety concern. The matter was recorded as involving no crime.
1:46 p.m. — Officer Brandon Boutilier responded to Waldron Street for a reported fraud and scam call. A resident told Boutilier that a caller had claimed to be her daughter, said she had just been in a car accident, and repeatedly stated that she had been arrested and had a bloody nose. The resident said she began to think the call was suspicious because it came from an unknown number and because the caller said she needed money for a public defender. She handed the phone to her husband and called her daughter's cellphone; her husband told Boutilier that the caller hung up abruptly upon hearing the daughter's voice in the background. Neither resident provided the caller with personal information and no money was lost. Boutilier documented the incident and advised both residents to be wary of answering calls from unknown numbers.
July 25
2:31 p.m. — Officer Brandon Boutilier took a report in the station lobby from an Elm Street resident regarding an alleged long-running scam. The resident, who operates a nonprofit organization, told Boutilier that since November 2023 she had been sending money to what she believed was a tech-support group managing her antivirus software subscription, understanding the original transaction to be a one-time payment for a three-year subscription, and that she had granted the group permission to control and remotely operate her computer. She alleged that between Nov. 29, 2023, and July 23, 2026, she was charged nine separate amounts totaling a net loss of $10,350.92, a figure she said she confirmed by reviewing the debits on her bank statements. The resident said she became more suspicious after receiving a call on July 23 telling her that her first software purchase was up for renewal, and that she believes the callers gained access to numerous passwords stored on her computer; she said she has changed bank accounts twice, has been in contact with her bank and has changed all of her passwords and accounts. Boutilier documented the matter as an open felony larceny by false pretense and forwarded the report, with photographs of documents the resident provided, to the Criminal Investigation Division.
July 26
7:55 a.m. — Officer Brandon Boutilier took a report in the station lobby from a Naugus Avenue resident regarding possible fraud. The resident told Boutilier that at about 2:04 that morning he received an email from his bank stating that a new trusted device, a Mac computer, had been added to his account, and he alleged that he does not own such a device and did not authorize the addition. He said he was not out of any money and was not certain whether any personal information had been exposed, and that he had already canceled the associated debit card and changed the password for his mobile banking app. The resident said he would try to reach the bank the following business day to check for pending charges. Boutilier advised him to ask the bank to freeze his accounts once he made contact, and the matter was documented as involving no crime.
2:36 p.m. — Officer Brandon Boutilier responded to a bar on Pleasant Street to retrieve property belonging to a customer. An employee had called police to report that the belongings had been placed in a white plastic bag outside a side door for pickup. Boutilier collected the bag, which contained a tablet, a cellphone and a charger, and transported the items to the station, where he attached a property tag and placed the bag in an evidence locker for safekeeping. Property officers were notified, and the matter was documented as involving no crime.
July 27
10:06 a.m. — Officer Brandon Boutilier took a report in the station lobby regarding an alleged past larceny at a jewelry store on Washington Street. The business owner told Boutilier that she believed a vintage silver turtle bracelet had been taken from an unlocked box near closing time on July 15. She said a couple who indicated they were from New Hampshire came in near closing and browsed, and that after the woman selected several items and placed them on the counter, the owner showed her the bracelet and allowed her to try it on. The owner said she was not certain in her memory but believed she had taken the bracelet back and returned it to its box. She said the woman then asked to use the restroom and asked about cameras, which the owner found strange, and alleged the bracelet may have been kept at that point or taken before or after the woman used the restroom. She said the woman purchased the items she had selected and left, and that her suspicions were raised the next morning when an employee asked whether anyone had bought the bracelet. Boutilier documented the matter as an open felony larceny.
12:55 p.m. — Officer Brandon Boutilier took a report by phone from a resident who said that all four valve stem caps were missing from her vehicle. The resident told Boutilier that the vehicle had been parked on Commercial Street from 3 to 10 p.m. the previous day and in her driveway overnight, and that another customer at a gas station pointed out the missing caps to her that morning. She said she wanted the matter on record in case anything further happened to the vehicle. Boutilier documented the report and the damaged property, and the resident said she understood the advice he provided. The matter was recorded as involving no crime.
5:30 p.m. — Officer Jason McDonald spoke at the police station with a resident who raised concerns about a recurring disturbance at an Intrepid Circle building. The resident alleged that the activity disturbs him and several of his neighbors in the building. Substantial portions of the narrative were redacted. McDonald advised the resident to call police while the disturbances are occurring so that officers can take action if warranted or offer services if requested, and the matter was documented as involving no crime.
July 28
1:40 p.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to Bradford Court for a reported stolen air conditioner. A resident told Hennigar he had placed a window air conditioning unit on a rock wall in front of his home in an attempt to sell it for $75, and alleged the unit had been taken sometime during the day, noting that he had been bringing it back inside at night. The resident said the matter was not a significant one but that he felt he needed to report the loss. Roughly an hour after that initial report, dispatch relayed an update to Hennigar: the resident had called to say the unit had not been stolen after all. A landscaper had taken it believing it was free, then returned, spoke with the resident and paid him the $75 he had been asking for it. Hennigar filed a supplemental narrative, and the matter was documented as involving no crime.
July 29
9:30 a.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo took a report in the station lobby from a Bubier Road resident who said he is the victim of credit card fraud. The resident told Mastrangelo that on June 10 he allowed his daughter to use his credit card for a $50 bicycle purchase from a website he soon after concluded was fraudulent. He alleged that a series of additional unauthorized charges followed over the next week at electronics stores, sporting goods retailers and grocery stores in several Massachusetts communities, with individual amounts ranging from about $161 to more than $2,100. The resident said his credit card company was not treating the later charges as fraudulent and was not refunding the money. He told Mastrangelo he would call the station shortly with the full card number, which the report notes had not been received as of that afternoon. Mastrangelo documented the matter as open felony credit card fraud over $1,200 and forwarded the case to the Criminal Investigation Division.
10:51 a.m. — Officer Douglas Mills was dispatched to be on the lookout for a vehicle allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash that had just occurred in Swampscott and was reported traveling inbound on Humphrey Street. The vehicle was described as a gray sedan missing its front bumper. After checking Humphrey Street without result, Mills radioed officers working a detail on Pleasant Street, and a sergeant reported moments later that he had stopped the vehicle at Pleasant Street and Devereux Street. Mills arrived and spoke with the operator, who said she knew she had struck another vehicle while making a right turn on Paradise Road in Swampscott and acknowledged that she should have remained at the scene to exchange information, telling Mills she had not stopped because she was on her way to a doctor's appointment. A Swampscott officer arrived shortly afterward to conduct that department's investigation. Mills advised the operator that although the vehicle appeared drivable, she should drive straight home and contact her insurance company to arrange for the vehicle to be taken to a collision shop rather than continue driving with a missing bumper. The operator said she understood and that she lived just over the town line, then completed a three-point turn without difficulty and continued outbound on Pleasant Street without incident. The matter was documented as an assist to another agency.
1:55 p.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to the station lobby for a fraud report from a Creesy Street resident. The resident told Hennigar that while he was doing research on his computer, the machine began to freeze and a voice message from the computer directed him to call a given number for Microsoft. He said that during the call the person on the line asked for his name, address and Social Security number, and that he provided his Social Security number before being asked for his bank account number, at which point he became suspicious and hung up. The resident said he had already contacted his bank to alert it to any potentially fraudulent activity on his account. Hennigar advised him to consider freezing his credit with the three major credit bureaus and to visit IdentityTheft.gov, told him a copy of the report would be available to him, and documented the matter as an open attempt to commit a crime.
2:59 p.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney responded to Harding Lane to speak with a resident about a potentially stolen item. The resident told Sweeney that a gold engagement ring valued at $4,000 was missing, that she keeps the ring in a locked box in her room and does not remember taking it out, and she alleged that someone had stolen it. Asked whether she had any idea who might have taken it, the resident said she had not had anyone in her home who would take it and rarely leaves the house for more than an hour, though she noted that construction workers have been working on a neighbor's house. Before clearing the scene, Sweeney told the resident he would forward the report to the Criminal Investigation Division.
July 30
2:37 p.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney responded to the station lobby to speak with a boat owner about items allegedly taken from a vessel moored in the harbor. The owner told Sweeney that someone had been repeatedly stealing flags from his 24-foot center console, which is moored toward the mouth of the harbor, and alleged that four "Don't Tread on Me" flags and one American flag had been taken over time. He said he kept buying replacements as they disappeared. He also alleged that after the first flag was taken, someone put up an anti-Trump flag in its place. The owner said that when he checked the boat earlier in the week, the two most recent flags he had put up were also gone. Sweeney documented the matter as an open misdemeanor larceny under $1,200.
