Excerpts from the Marblehead police log of Tuesday, March 28 through Thursday, April 6, 2023. Consistent with state law, Marblehead Police have adopted a policy of not providing to media outlets reports related to incidents related to domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation.
Tuesday, March 28
2:35 a.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Creesy Street and filed a report.
7:49 a.m. A missing traffic cone was reported on West Shore Drive.
11:27 a.m. An officer was dispatched to the National Grand Bank on Pleasant Street to investigate a possible grandparent scam in progress. The officer was met by a bank employee who explained that a woman had just come into the bank stating she was being recorded and needed to withdraw a large sum of money from her account. As the officer first approached the woman in the customer service waiting area, she whispered that they were being listened to and then held up her phone to show that it was currently on speaker phone. The officer asked the woman if he could terminate the call, and she agreed. The officer explained that the people who proceeded to try to call her back were scammers. The woman agreed to let the officer block the number to prevent them from calling her back. The woman then explained that she had gotten a call about two hours earlier from someone claiming to be Amazon’s fraud department. She stated that the person claimed that there was a fraudulent charge on her account for a computer and cellphone totaling $1,425. She was then transferred to another person who claimed to be “Officer Roger Green” with the Federal Trade Commission. The woman stated that at some point the call got disconnected, and she received another call from the same “Roger Green” but from a different number. The woman was then instructed to put the phone on speaker and go to the bank to make a withdrawal. The woman stated that she was told to make a cash withdrawal of “as much money as the bank would allow” and to stay on speaker phone throughout the transaction. “Roger Green” told her that someone would come to her house the following day at 10 a.m. to sign paperwork, allowing the cash to be transferred. The bank was able to stop the woman prior to making any withdrawals. The officer explained to the woman that this was a phishing scam and reviewed the red flags to look out for. The officer advised the woman to keep the number blocked and to not answer any calls or other messages from people she did not know. When the officer asked what information she had given to the scammers over the phone prior to coming to the bank, she stated just the last four digits of her Social Security Number. The officer advised her to contact the Social Security Administration to report that her SSN had been compromised. The woman stated that she also pays for identity theft protection and would make the company aware in order to put a fraud alert on her credit.
3:55 p.m. An officer spoke at the station to a man who explained that he was scheduled to have a package containing two iPhone 14s and an iPad delivered to his house on Pequot Road earlier in the day. He had gotten a notification from FedEx that the package was delivered, but when he went back to the house, the package was missing. A representative from FedEx contacted the driver, who explained that while dropping off the package, he was approached by a man outside of the house who asked if the package was being delivered to the Pequot Road address. The FedEx driver said he asked for the man’s ID, and the man produced an ID that matched the name on the package, so the FedEx driver gave the man the package. The officer planned to share information about the suspect with detectives for further investigation.
6:07 p.m. An officer investigated a report that a vehicle had damaged a fence on Lime Street.
Wednesday, March 29
11:07 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman whose debit card had recently been compromised, resulting in numerous fraudulent charges to Apple on her account, totaling just over $200, plus another charge to Facebook. Her bank had already reversed the fraudulent charges and issued her a new card number, and she was not out any money. The woman told the officer that her account had been compromised back in 2020 as well and that she thought it was likely she had fallen victim to a card skimmer device. The officer advised the woman to continue to monitor all of her accounts and to report any additional fraud and to also check with the major credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on her profile.
12:58 p.m. An officer spoke by phone with a woman who earlier in the day had received a series of text messages from an unknown number, which was traced to a person in Brooklyn, New York. The messages contained pictures of a white bald man in his 50s who was completely nude. At the bottom of the picture was the name “Brian Husky.” The officer asked the woman if she was having issues with anyone in her life, and she responded that she was not. The officer recommended that she block the number and shared details of the incident with detectives for further investigation.
3:56 p.m. An issue related to kids on bikes was reported on Wyman Road.
5:32 p.m. A woman came to the police station to report that earlier in the day her work supervisor had received a call from someone claiming to be from “ADS,” who wanted to go to the woman’s place of work to “serve her.” The woman did not want to call back the number that she was given for fear it was a scam. She said she had no idea what it could be about. Officer agreed that it was likely a scam but called the number provided. The woman on the other line said they were a civil lawsuit firm. The officer advised the woman on the phone that if she wanted to serve the woman to come to the police station. The woman on the phone asked for the officer’s badge number, which he provided.
7:46 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Pitman Road to mediate a dispute between neighbors. The caller told the officer that one of her children’s friends had lost a shoe over their fence into a neighbor’s yard, and the neighbor would not give the shoe back. The officer then went over to speak with the neighbors, and a man living at the home confirmed that one of the children in the neighborhood had knocked on his door earlier and told him he accidentally kicked his shoe into his yard. The man said he told the child that he was eating dinner and that when he was done, he would get the shoe. The man said he had thrown the shoe back over the fence into his neighbor’s yard about 20 minutes later. The officer then went back and spoke with the caller, who told him about the well-documented history of problems she had with those same neighbors. The officer advised the woman that the shoe had supposedly been thrown back over the fence and asked if she had gotten it. She said that she had not checked yet, and the officer asked her to do so. She then asked the officer if not returning the shoe was harassment. The officer asked her whether she thought it was harassment and also relayed the neighbor’s explanation of why he had not returned it immediately. The officer then asked the officer if he was friends with her neighbors. He replied that he was not. She then said she thought she had seen the police motorcycle in front of their house last summer. The officer advised her that was indeed his motorcycle, but he was there on a call for service and had taken a report from them. Then she said, “You were the one that tried to arrest my husband for no reason.” The officer had charged her husband with trespassing, but he had not attempted to arrest him at any time, according to his report. He then explained to the woman that she could try to obtain a harassment prevention order against her neighbor in court.
Thursday, March 30
8:56 a.m. An officer spoke with a local man about a case of identity fraud and mistaken identity. According to the man, the issue started back in 1997 when he attempted to renew his Massachusetts driver’s license and discovered that someone else in Florida shared the same legal name and date of birth as him, which had raised questions about his true identity. This past June, he had received a bill from an emergency medical clinic in Florida, requesting he pay $596 for the services that the clinic believed they had provided him but that he had not received. The man said he had been able to clarify the matter before it was sent to a collection agency. But on March 29, on a return flight from the Dominican Republic, he got detained at Logan Airport. Once again, he was able to resolve the matter, but he said he was growing weary of being inconvenienced by this issue over a long period of time. In addition, he had received notification via email from Airbnb advising him that not only had his rental been canceled for his upcoming trip to Nantucket in May but his account had also been locked due to an alleged violation of the service’s terms and conditions, which he was trying to resolve with the assistance of the police report he was asking the officer to generate, confirming his residency in Marblehead and that he had a valid Massachusetts driver’s license.
12:30 p.m. The officer spoke by phone with a man seeking advice about civil issues that he was having with his landlord. The officer advised the man to consult with a landlord-tenant attorney regarding the disagreement over his lease disagreement. He also advised the man to park his vehicles on the public way to prevent the landlord from towing them off his property. The man also felt as though the landlord was harassing him, so the officer explained his rights to a harassment prevention order. The man planned to call the police if the landlord showed up at his apartment unannounced.
12:45 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Seaside Park on a report of past vandalism. He spoke with a Park and Recreation Department employee who explained that they just discovered new vandalism to the park: graffiti spray painted on the side of the utility shed for the tennis courts. The employee stated that the person had also tried to break into the shed but was unsuccessful due to a padlock. The employee stated that the door and doorframe were damaged as a result of the attempted forced entry. The employee then showed the officer the damage to the door and the graffiti on the side of the shed, which he photographed. The employee then showed the officer more graffiti located on the tennis practice wall, which he photographed as well. The employee told the officer that the vandalism must have occurred in the last 48 hours, as they had done work in the park a couple of days earlier, and there was no vandalism at that time.
2:46 p.m. A caller on Gregory Street reported that a package had been delivered to the wrong address.
4:49 p.m. An officer was dispatched to a retail store on Washington Street to investigate a shoplifting report. He was met inside the store by an employee, who informed him that earlier in the day she noticed a woman come into her store while on her phone who appeared like she did not want to engage with the employee. The employee had gone to the back of the store to assist another customer, and when she returned she noticed an empty hanger where the woman had been browsing and realized that the woman had stolen a linen shirt that was being sold for $52. The employee had reported the theft to the business’ owner, and they were able to confirm that the unknown woman had stolen the shirt because they caught it on video camera. The officer shared the information, including photos of the stolen shirt and the video footage, with a detective to investigate further.
5:50 p.m. An officer assisted with a disabled vehicle on Pleasant Street.
7:39 p.m. Officers investigated a report of a wire down on Pleasant Street.
Friday, March 31
8:03 a.m. An officer was dispatched to the grandstands at Seaside Park for a report of tagging. Upon arrival, he talked to a Park and Rec Department employee who showed him the writing on the grandstands and said, “It’s the same old thing.” Officer took a photograph of the tagging and forwarded it to detectives.
10:29 a.m. An officer met with a man known to him to take a report regarding threatening text messages. The man explained that he had been messaging with a person on Snapchat about a potential job opportunity in the past several days. The person then sent him what the man believed was a fake digital check. The man continued that, after the check had been sent, he was then contacted through an iCloud account by a person who began threatening him and demanding that he send $2,000 via Cash App or Venmo. The person using the iCloud account sent various photographs of dead bodies, which the officer recognized as being the same pictures that have been used in other recent scams reported to Marblehead Police. The man agreed that it was a scam but wanted the incident documented. The officer advised him to call the issuing bank of the possible fake check and let them know that he had filed a police report. The officer then advised the man to block the accounts that had reached out to him and let police know immediately if he received any more threatening messages.
10:32 a.m. An officer assisted with a tractor-trailer stuck on Captains Walk Lane.
11:05 a.m. Officers assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash with unspecified injuries on Turner Road.
1:04 p.m. A sign was reported down on Beacon Street.
5:25 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a minor vehicle accident on Pleasant Street.
Saturday, April 1
11:01 a.m. An officer on patrol traveling inbound on Pleasant Street in the area of Bessom Street saw a man that he knew had a suspended driver’s license get into the driver’s seat of a parked Subaru station wagon and begin driving outbound on Pleasant Street. The officer turned his cruiser around and confirmed that the man’s license was still suspended. The officer stopped the vehicle on Lafayette Street and requested the driver’s license and registration. The man was unable to produce either document and admitted he had a suspended driver’s license due to a failure to pay fines. Another officer then arrived on scene to assist with the vehicle stop. The man was issued a citation, and the vehicle’s owner came to the scene to prevent the vehicle from having to be towed.
11:01 a.m. A lost computer was reported on Foster Street.
2:29 p.m. A wire was reported down on Pleasant Street.
3:25 p.m. Officers responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Green Street and Lincoln Avenue and filed a report.
4:37 p.m. An officer investigated a report that a golf cart had been stolen on Tedesco Street.
Sunday, April 2
10:49 a.m. A caller on Pleasant Street reported a lost iPhone.
11:38 a.m. A health card was found on Atlantic Avenue.
3:15 p.m. A backpack was found on Commercial Street.
6:33 p.m. A past hit-and-run was reported on Anderson Street.
10:47 p.m. Officers investigated a report of a woman yelling downstairs on Creesy Street.
Monday, April 3
8:35 a.m. An officer assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash on Tedesco Street.
9:49 a.m. Wires snapped and low-hanging lines were reported on Pleasant Street.
10:34 a.m. An officer spoke at the police station with a man who had recently received a letter in the mail that asked him to partner up to claim a life insurance policy in Canada worth $10 million. As luck would have it, the man had attended a “coffee with a cop event,” where police had spoken at length about this type of scam and others. With this information, the man had been able to identify the letter as a scam and did not communicate with the sender but instead brought it to police, which he was told had been the right thing to do.
12:33 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Franklin Street to investigate a past hit-and-run. A man told the officer that someone had struck his Nissan Maxima while it was parked in front of his house on the street. The officer observed the driver’s side mirror to be shattered and the mirror housing pushed towards the front. No information had been left with the vehicle, and no witnesses had come forward.
2:26 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on South Street, and the log indicates a person was taken to the hospital.
5:33 p.m. A woman came to the police station to file an identity fraud report. She said she had gotten a Bank of America VISA card in the mail that she had not requested. She called Bank of America and canceled the card, which someone had requested using a fake email address that incorporated her name. The woman said there had also been a request made at the post office to forward mail to an address in the Bronx, which the postmaster had discarded. The officer advised the woman to check all her accounts and credit cards and to contact the credit bureaus to make sure her identity had not been compromised. The woman said that, as of now, nothing appeared to have been compromised.
Tuesday, April 4
6:23 a.m. A wallet was found on Front Street.
9:05 a.m. An officer investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Wharf Path.
11:25 a.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Pleasant Street and filed a report.
4:54 p.m. An officer assigned to the downtown sector of town in a marked patrol cruiser conducted selected traffic enforcement in the area of West Shore Drive and Waterside Road until 5:28 p.m. but observed zero traffic violations.
4:59 p.m. An officer conducted speed enforcement in the area of Ocean Avenue and observed approximately 13 vehicles with an average speed between 22 and 27 miles per hour.
8:55 p.m. An officer investigated a report that kids were making noise on Lighthouse Lane.
10:33 p.m. An officer restored the peace after a disturbance was reported on Lincoln Avenue.
Wednesday, April 5
1:59 a.m. An officer investigated a report of loud music on Farrell Court.
4:18 a.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Pond Street.
11:41 a.m. An officer rendered services to a Hewitt Street resident who reported a possible case of mail fraud.
3:07 p.m. Vandalism was reported on May Street.
7:22 p.m. An officer assisted a Beacon Street resident and filed a report.
9:10 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Jersey Street and West Shore Drive.
Thursday, April 6
6:59 a.m. A lost wallet was reported on Arnold Terrace.
12:42 p.m. An officer investigated a report of annoying phone calls received on Green Street.
2:09 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle accident on Pleasant Street.
9:41 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle accident on Tedesco Street.
11:01 p.m. An officer answered questions about a license to carry a firearm.
