Police Log: Cab Driver Assaulted; Stolen Car Left Abandoned; Suspects Caught

Newton resident charged with assault

A Newton resident was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 30, after police responded to Cherry Street for reports of an assault, reports said.

Jamie Sneddon, 29, of 346 Cherry St. #3, was charged with assault and battery, police said.

Break-in suspect caught

A Waltham man was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 30, after a vehicle owner caught him breaking in to his truck.

According to reports, a Central Street resident was walking out to his car when he saw a man inside his Chevrolet pick-up truck. It appeared as though the party was going through the owner's personal belongings. 

The suspect got out of the car and fled down Central Street toward Auburn Street. The owner got in his truck and proceeded to follow the fleeing suspect down Rand Terrace.

As a result, Keith Comins, 30, of 54 Central Street #1, was arrested for breaking and entering into a motor vehicle and was eventually charged with two counts of breaking and entering, police said.

Break-in on Prospect Street

Police responded to a home on Prospect Street Tuesday, Oct. 30, after the homeowner reported a break-in during the night. 

According to reports, the suspect entered the home through an unlocked living room window and stole a 60-inch television as well as an Xbox.

The woman told police the windows were left open to air out the house, as it is currently being painted. The woman was also not home during the theft, as she could not sleep in the house due to the paint fumes.

Suspect chased away

While responding to a report of downed wires on Hillcrest Circle Tuesday, police spoke with a resident who said he chased away a suspect who had been breaking into his car. 

According to reports, the incident happened on Wednesday, Oct. 24 around 2:50 a.m. The resident said he woke up and saw the man rummaging through his car, which was parked in his driveway.

The resident said he grabbed a stick and went out to confront the suspect. He chased the suspect away, who hopped on his bicycle and said, "I only got two quarters, man, I'm really hungry."

The suspect was described as average build wearing a purple hoodie and in his late 30s early 40s. The man reportedly had a pair of gloves and a screwdriver in his back pocket.

Another suspect spotted

Police responded to Crescent Street on Tuesday, Oct. 30, after a resident reported seeing a man and a woman breaking into his Subaru. 

According to reports, the resident went outside to confront the suspects when he spotted the male party in his vehicle. At that point, the two suspects fled, pushing a shopping cart.

The man was described as 5'11'' tall, thin build and wearing a hood. He was accompanied by a female wearing a windbreaker and both appeared to be homeless. 

Nothing seemed to be missing from the vehicle, reports said. 

Man arrested on a warrant

A Boston man was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 30, on a warrant out of Newton District Court.

Guillermo Torres, 32, of 641 Tremont St. #2, was arrested on warrant for larceny over $250.

According to reports, both Waltham Police and Newton Police responded to Chester Lane in Waltham on Tuesday, Oct. 30, to arrest Torres, who was reportedly hiding in an upstairs closet. 

Cab driver assaulted 

A 22-year-old Dighton man will have to appear in court after he reportedly punched a cab driver in the face and fled without paying his fare.

According to reports, police responded to Mount Ida College on Thursday, Nov. 1, for a past assault and taxi fare evasion that reportedly happened sometime between 3:10 a.m. and 3:15 a.m.

The cab driver told police that he picked up two males at Faneuil Hall around 2:45 a.m. When he arrived at Wiswall Road (by Chinian Path), he stopped the cab and was then punched in the face by one of the two suspects.

The two men then fled the cab without paying and headed toward Mount Ida College.

The suspects were described as two white males between 18- and 25-years old. One male was reportedly heavyset and approximately 5'5" tall with blonde hair and a red hooded sweatshirt. The other male was described as 6'2" tall with a thin, muscular build.

Following the report and investigation, police plan to seek complaints against the 22-year-old Dighton man for charges of assault and battery and taxi fare evasion, police said.

Stolen car left on Washington Street

Police found an abandoned, stolen car left on Washington Street Thursday near the intersection with Commonwealth Avenue. 

According to reports, police were dispatched to the area for reports of a disabled motor vehicle. 

When police arrived on scene, they found 1991 Honda Civic unoccupied with the hazard lights on, trash strewn across the vehicle and the driver's side window down. 

After not being able to find the driver, police had dispatch run the vehicle's registration. The car came back as stolen out of Quincy. Newton Police then contacted the Quincy Police Department.

Newton man faces license, vehicle charges

A Newton man was arrested on Thursday, Nov. 1, after police found he was driving without a license.

According to reports, an officer spotted a parked car on the northbound side of Centre Street Thursday. The driver, Ronilton Chaves Desouza, was sitting in the parked car without a seatbelt while the engine was running. Police also noticed he car's height had been altered so that it was lower to the ground.

After running the vehicle's registration, police found the driver had a suspended license for being a habitual traffic offender. 

As a result, Desouza, 31, of 579 Centre St., was arrested for driving with a suspended license. He was charged with driving with a suspended license (subsequent offense), improperly altering vehicle height and failure to wear a seatbelt, police said. 

Tires left deflated

A man who parked his car off Melrose Street last week told police on Thursday, Nov. 1, that he found two of his car's tires deflated.

According to reports, the man parked his Prius in an alleyway off Melrose Street on Monday, Oct. 29. When he returned to the car on Thursday, Nov. 1, he found the two flat tires. 

There was no initial damage done to the tires, however, because he drove on the flats, the owner did $260 worth of damage to the car. 

Scratched car

A woman told police on Thursday, Nov.1, that someone had scratched her car sometime between 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31 and 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 1.

According to reports, the woman found "large, zigzag" scratches along the passenger side and driver side of the vehicle, which was parked in a residential parking lot behind Commonwealth Avenue. 

For questions on this police blotter, email Editor Melanie Graham at Melanie.Graham@patch.com.