Excerpts from the Marblehead police log of Wednesday, July 5 through Tuesday, July 11, 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.
Wednesday, July 5
8:15 a.m. An officer spoke at the station with a man who had been picking up his daughter from the Festival of Arts downtown at around 4 p.m. on the Fourth of July. The man explained that while he was looking for parking, he was confronted by an unknown man. The man in the station stated that he turned off of Washington Street onto Washington Square, where he saw an available parking space. As the man in the station made the turn, he was confronted by an unknown middle-aged white man who was upset because he had been saving the space for his wife. When the man in the station tried explaining to the other man that he needed the parking space, the other man accused the man in the station of striking him with his vehicle and threatened to “call the cops” to report it. The man in the station said the other man approached his truck to confront him about the parking space but that at no time did his vehicle make contact with the man. The man in the station stated that after the confrontation he decided it was best to find parking elsewhere. The man in the station said that he then saw the other man walk over to a woman, presumably his wife, with no issues and did not appear injured. The man in the station stated he just wanted to get the incident on record in case the other man had come forward, which he had apparently not done, according to police records.
10:52 a.m. An officer spoke at the station with a woman whose vehicle had been “rifled through” while parked on Pleasant Street the night before. The only thing missing from her vehicle was a small, unknown amount of change. Her wallet was inside the vehicle, but nothing was stolen out of it. The officer advised the woman to get all her credit and debit cards replaced, and to report back to the police if she noticed anything else missing.
12:47 p.m. An officer investigated the report of a vehicle crash on Bubier Road and filed a report.
5:47 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Atlantic Avenue to speak to an employee who had received an anonymous call on the business’ landline from a man claiming to work for the police department who asked her if she was checking $100 bills to see if they were counterfeit. He advised her she should remove the cash from the register and place it in the rear of the store. He also asked who her boss was and asked for his phone number, as well as her name and phone number. The employee had provided all this information under the impression she was talking to a police officer. A short time later, her cell phone rang, and her boss’ name and his phone number, which she had given to the police officer, showed up on her screen. When she picked up the call, the man on the other end identified himself as her boss, but the employee recognized it as the voice of the alleged police officer, apparently calling her using a “Spoof Box.” When the employee told the caller she was working with a partner, he hung up on her. The officer advised the employee to call her boss and let him know about the calls. He also told her if she felt uncomfortable remaining at work, she should leave and notify her boss. The employee said that since she was not working alone she would finish her shift but would call the police if anything else suspicious occurred.
7:28 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Bessom Street.
8:54 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance reported on Lee Street.
10:51 p.m. Officers investigated the report of suspicious activity in the area of Old Salem Road.
Thursday, July 6
11:03 a.m. An officer spoke at the police station with a woman who had received a suspicious email, purportedly from UPS. When she went to the UPS Store to ask about it, they suggested she report it to the police. The officer recognized the email as a phishing scam. The woman said she had not clicked on any links in the email and had not communicated with the sender. The officer advised her to not respond to any emails she could not verify as authentic or from trusted individuals, which she understood. The officer also advised her to speak with her children, attorney or trusted financial institution if she thought she needed assistance with her emails and to monitor her credit as a precaution. The woman was not out any money but planned to report the issue to her bank.
11:44 a.m. An officer spoke by phone with a woman who had received a series of recent phone calls that were “grandmother scam” attempts. The woman said she had received two phone calls from the same unidentified man, claiming to be her grandson. From media reports, she immediately recognized both calls — one to her cell phone, the other to her home phone — were scam attempts and hung up. The officer encouraged her to continue her vigilance.
1:26 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on West Shore Drive.
6:49 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Nicholson Street.
10:05 p.m. An officer investigated a disturbance on Wyman Road.
Friday, July 7
4:14 p.m. An SD card was found on Beach Street.
5:11 p.m. An officer went to a Pleasant Street business to speak to a woman who, moments earlier, as she arrived at work, had an altercation with a former employee who had ridden his bike towards her, shouted an obscenity at her and otherwise expressed his hatred for her family. At no point did the former employee enter the business.
7:44 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Ames Road to investigate a neighbor dispute. Upon his arrival, he spoke to a man who had arrived home, planning to park his truck in its normal spot in front of the house, but his next-door neighbor had already parked one of his construction trucks in front of their home. As was backing his truck up and parking it in front of the neighbor’s house instead, the neighbor came out of his home and began screaming at the man’s son, stating that if he hit his truck, he would be liable for the damages. The man said he had come out to defend his son, at which point the neighbor stated that he would get the Hell’s Angels to visit. While the officer was outside speaking with the family, the neighbor came out of his home and began asking what was going on. The officer advised the neighbor that it was none of his business, and he could go back inside. The neighbor stated he would not go back inside and was simply walking to his truck. He proceeded to stand there and gawk at the conversation the officer was trying to have. The neighbor then yelled over to the man, “Crying again, huh?” The man was visibly frustrated by the constant harassment, according to the officer. At this point, the officer suggested moving their conversation inside to get away from the neighbor. Once inside, the man provided further detail about his neighbor’s extremely erratic behavior. One day, they can be friendly towards each other, and the next day shouting matches ensue, the man said. The officer commended the man for being the bigger person and noted that he could go to court and apply for a harassment prevention order. He also advised the family to not hesitate to call police if the neighbor began acting erratically again and recommended video recording any further involvement with him, if they felt threatened.
Saturday, July 8
10:53 a.m. A person on Elm Street reported receiving annoying calls.
2:24 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Jersey Street to investigate a report of a fire hydrant that was broken and on the ground. The officer found that the fire hydrant appeared to be undamaged except for the coupling that holds it upright. The officer canvassed the surrounding area for video cameras that might have recorded a vehicle striking the hydrant but was unable to locate any. The Water and Sewer Department was asked to respond to the scene and fix the hydrant.
5 p.m. While driving, an officer noticed a black Volvo with an expired registration tag on Orne Street. The officer contacted dispatch and requested that the vehicle registration plate be run, and it was found to be expired, nonrenewable. The officer-in-charge approved towing the vehicle. The officer issued a ticket for the vehicle’s expired inspection sticker and confiscated its plates.
5:15 p.m. A patrol officer was parked in front of the central fire station when he observed a black sedan headed outbound on Pleasant Street run a red light. When he pulled the driver over, she produced an expired Massachusetts license. The officer tried to help the woman renew her license online via her cell phone, but they were unable to. The officer-in-charge gave the officer permission to drive the woman home to Swampscott. Her car was left parked legally on the side of the road. She was issued a written warning for the expired license.
7:57 p.m. An officer driving on Front Street from Docks Ledge Way noticed a gray Toyota Camry with an expired 2021 registration tag Massachusetts registration sitting on Front Street. A dispatcher determined that the vehicle’s registration was revoked due to a lack of insurance. The vehicle was towed and issued a ticket for an expired inspection sticker. In the process of being towed, the Camry rolled and struck another parked vehicle that suffered no visible damage. Once they made contact with the Camry’s owner, police determined that the vehicle may have been stolen, as the vehicle’s owner reported that he had last seen the vehicle behind his apartment complex in Winthrop the previous afternoon and had neither driven the vehicle himself nor lent the vehicle to anyone. The man was asked how he could get his vehicle back, and he was told that the first step would be to report it stolen to Winthrop Police. Then, he would need to contact the towing company.
Sunday, July 9
12:46 p.m. Two officers were dispatched to Washington Street to respond to a neighbor dispute. They were met outside by a visibly frustrated man, who explained that he does not live with his partner but does frequent the apartment. This morning, he was pulling into his partner’s parking
spot when the neighbors began to yell at him for parking in the driveway. Heated words were exchanged, and the man admitted telling the female neighbor to “F off.” Shortly thereafter, the woman’s son came outside and said, “You’re going to regret talking to my mother that way.”
The officer advised the man on the process of retaining a harassment prevention order. The officers then went to the neighbors’ apartment to speak with them. Beyond adding that the man had used more than one vulgarity, the woman essentially confirmed the details of the incident. The officer explained the process for obtaining a harassment prevention order and provided them with his business card upon their request.
1:10 p.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman who explained that she had been dealing with ongoing harassment from her next-door neighbors. There had been a confrontation the day before after the woman noticed her neighbor up on a ladder in his yard using a chainsaw to trim part of her peach tree, which was extending over the fence between their properties. When she went over to tell him that she was fine with them cutting the tree, she said he began to yell at her and to call her names. The woman said that the man called her a “f–ing immigrant” and told her, “Mussolini, go back to your country.” She stated that she then went back inside her home. Later in the day, she checked her security footage and noticed that the man had continued to yell at her, even after she went back inside. She stated that he could be heard saying “go up and down the stairs; what are you even f—ing doing?” She stated that she felt threatened by her neighbor and that tensions had been rising over the past few months. The officer advised her about how to obtain a harassment prevention order. The officer then went to speak to a woman living in the neighboring home, who explained that the man who had been on the ladder, her son, does not live there but comes there frequently to help her with yard work. She said that the tool he had been using was a hedge trimmer, not a chainsaw. After being apprised of her neighbor’s account of the interaction with her son, the woman said she wanted nothing to do with the woman or her family, and the officer advised her that the feeling was mutual. The officer advised the woman that it would be best if the families did not interact with each other, advice he shared with the other woman as well.
6:03 p.m. An officer spoke at the station with a woman regarding an ongoing issue with her neighbors. The woman said that she had exited her house to run a quick errand and found the couple next door in their car blocking her car in her driveway. She said it was clear that she was trying to leave, but the neighbors did not make an immediate effort to move for her. Based on past incidents, this made her uncomfortable, and she took her phone out to try to record the interaction. This prompted the man to yell, “Hold on, let me get mine out.” Then he exited the car and took his phone out. The woman was so flustered that she failed to turn her phone’s camera on and did not record the incident. The couple eventually drove off, and the woman came straight to the station to document the incident.
10:20 p.m. An officer was dispatched to the area of Cliff Street to investigate a report of an individual in distress in the water. Upon his arrival, he could hear someone yelling for help from the water. The harbormaster located the person and transported them to the Marblehead Trading Company dock. The officer met the harbormaster there, and he had with them two men, who explained that they were attempting to enter a kayak together to return to shore for the evening. While untying the kayak from the mooring, they also untied one of the men’s bigger motorboat. They did not have the keys to start the big boat and began to drift towards the dock at 10 Cliff St., where the boat ended up. At some point, one of the men fell from the kayak and was in the water until the harbormaster was able to pull him out. The harbormaster was able to retrieve the boat and place it back on its proper mooring. The officer drove the men back to one of their homes.
Monday, July 10
12:14 a.m. An officer responded to the scene of a single-vehicle accident on Tedesco Street. Upon his arrival, the officer found the driver outside of his vehicle with a small dog in his hands. The officer asked the man if he was injured, and he said no. He also said there had been no one else in the vehicle. The vehicle’s airbag had deployed, and it had suffered heavy front-end damage. The man told the officer he had been driving inbound on Tedesco Street when he looked down to change the radio station and struck a tree along the side of the road. He also said that his dog often runs throughout the vehicle while he is driving. The vehicle had lost its front right tire, but he had been able to brake and slow down and stop the vehicle off to the side of the road. The officer did not detect any signs of impairment. The officer reported that the man was steady on his feet and answered all of the first responders’ questions without any problem. The man refused transport by ambulance and was picked up by his girlfriend. The vehicle was towed, and the road was cleaned and reopened.
5:45 a.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Baldwin Road.
10:45 a.m. At the request of area residents, an officer conducted selective traffic enforcement on Ocean Avenue for approximately 45 minutes but observed no speeding violations or other enforceable violations.
8:29 p.m. An officer was parked in the Devereux Beach parking lot when he was approached by a woman who reported that she saw five teenagers throwing rocks at a steel trash bin at the Goldthwait Reservation located off of Philips Street. The woman stated that they all had backpacks on, but she could not give the officer any other description of the teenagers, as she had witnessed the incident from her home. The officer asked if there were any cameras that could have picked up the incident, and the woman stated that she had walked out towards Goldthwait Reservation from her home and had begun to videotape the teens from her cell phone. The woman then showed the officer a short clip showing multiple teenagers on an incline over the reservation taking rocks from the shoreline running the length of the reservation and throwing them at the steel trash bin located at the bottom of the incline on the property. As the officer watched the video, he could hear a “clunk” noise from one of the rocks hitting the steel trash bin. As he reviewed the footage further, the officer could not make out any description of the teenagers due to the quality of the footage and due to fog in the film. The officer advised the woman that he would document the incident and check in on the location throughout the remainder of his shift.
9:23 p.m. An officer assisted with a disabled vehicle on West Shore Drive and Pitman Road.
Tuesday, July 11
7:25 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a man whose vehicle had been struck by another vehicle between the hours of 8 p.m. July 10 and 6 a.m. July 11. The man stated that his vehicle had been parked on the corner of Pearl and Washington streets, and when he had left his house in the morning, he had noticed the damage to the left rear taillight of his vehicle. The man said that he had not heard any crash during the night and was unaware of any video footage of the event. The officer advised the man that he would create an accident report and an offense report for his insurance company. The man was advised to fill out his own accident report as well.
10:03 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Atlantic Avenue, where a business owner told him that, when he had arrived at work, the property owner was standing in the parking lot filming him. The business owner said that while he was unloading his vehicle, the man had just stood there filming him while he brought his things into the store. The man asked the officer if there was anything he could do about someone filming him, and the officer explained that there was nothing he could do about someone filming you legally. The officer also told him that the best thing he could do is just ignore the man while he films.
11:54 a.m. An officer spoke with a woman who had a virtual video medical conference scheduled for July 10. She received a message from a person she believed to be her clinician advising her to access the meeting using a specific URL address. After entering in the URL address, her computer alerted her that she had been a victim of a hacker. The woman contacted a person whom she believed to be an Apple representative who purported to confirm that her computer had been hacked. The Apple representative then requested personal computer data and information from the woman, which she provided. The Apple representative then advised the woman to contact her bank’s fraud protection team. The woman Googled the phone number and called a number she found. The representative on the line advised her there was a $18,000 transaction to Bitcoin, which she wasn’t responsible for. The representative said the only way the woman could cancel the transaction was to withdraw $18,000 from the bank and not to speak with any of the employees about her business. Feeling she had been the victim of a scam, the woman wanted to report the incident to police. However, she did not believe she was out any money. The officer advised the woman to contact Apple or a local computer store directly for guidance regarding her computer being compromised. In addition, the officer advised her to keep an eye on her credit and to make contact with her bank to put a fraud alert on her accounts.
2:08 p.m. Officers responded to the scene of a car accident on Lafayette Street and Tully Road.
10:30 p.m. Officers investigated a report of a loud bang on Fairview Road and Green Street.
