Police Log: Stolen Car, Theft at a Construction Site and a Break-in Suspect Caught

Construction site theft

Newton Police responded to Elm Street on Jan. 11 after a man reported all of his tools had been stolen from a construction site. 

According to reports, the construction site is a location where multiple houses are being built. When the worker arrived on Jan. 11, he found the chain and pad lock for the site on the floor of one of the units. In addition, the temporary construction fence was knocked down and it appeared a car had driven through it.

The stolen tools included a generator, a compressor, PVC shears, two drill bit sets, saws and extension cords, among others.

Woman arrested at mall store

A Milton woman was arrested on Jan. 11 at a store in the Mall at Chestnut Hill. 

According to police reports, officers responded to the Soft Surroundings store to arrest Joselina Graceila Rivera-Lopes, 19, of 210 Brushhill Road, on a warrant.

Police said the warrant for Rivera-Lopes was for larceny over $250 by a single scheme. At the same time as the arrest, the woman was also informed that she was terminated from her job at the store, reports said.

Break-in on Tremont Street

Police responded to a residence on Tremont Street on Jan. 11 for reports of a past breaking and entering. 

According to reports, the resident and her mother left the apartment around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 and returned around 8:15 p.m. to find the apartment in disarray. 

The suspect who broke into the apartment appeared to have entered through a rear bedroom window and exited through a rear sliding glass door.

Stolen items included a laptop (unknown make), two MacBooks, a MacBook Air, two flat-screen televisions, a "Victorian" diamond ring and an unknown amount of medication, reports said. 

Domestic incident leads to arrest

A Newton man was arrested on Jan. 12 after police responded to Walnut Street for reports of a domestic incident.

Oben Brown Johnson III, 31, of 160 Walnut St., was arrested for domestic assault and battery, police said.

Car break-ins

Police responded to the following reports of vehicle break-ins:

• Jan. 11, Highland Street - Sometime between 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 11, someone entered two unlocked cars that were parked in a driveway.
• Jan. 11, Woodman Street - Sometime between 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 7 a.m. on Jan. 11, someone entered an unlocked car.
• Jan. 11, Puritan Road - Sometime between 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 7 a.m. on Jan. 11, someone entered an unlocked car parked in the driveway. 
• Jan. 11, Woodward Street - Sometime between 4 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 12:20 p.m. on Jan. 11, someone rummaged through a car that was parked in a driveway.
• Jan. 11, Beethoven Street - Sometime overnight Jan. 10 to Jan. 11, someone entered an unlocked car parked in the driveway and went through the console and glove box. 
• Jan. 12, Orchard Avenue - Sometime between 7 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 6 p.m. on Jan. 11, someone entered an unlocked car that was left in a garage with the door open. 

Family disturbance

Police responded to Cavanaugh Path on Jan. 12 for reports of a family disturbance.

As a result, police will seek a criminal complaint for domestic assault and battery against a 52-year-old Newton man, reports said. 

Popped tires

A man told Newton Police on Jan. 13 that someone had popped one of his truck's tires sometime between 12:15 a.m. - 7 a.m. on Jan. 13. 

The Ford F250, which was parked on the owner's property, had a 1-inch cut near the "white wall" area of the front driver's side tire, reports said.

Stolen car

A woman told Newton Police on Jan. 13 that someone had stolen her 2008 Black Honda CRV while it was parked in her assigned parking spot behind her North Street apartment building.

According to reports, the woman last saw her car at 7 p.m. on Jan. 12. 

The woman said she also left her yellow and white Coach bag in the vehicle, which contained three bank/credit cards as well as her license. 

Assault charges

A Newton man was arrested on Jan. 13 for a previous assault incident, reports said. 

Kevin J. Yerardi, 39, of 17 Harvey Place, was arrested and charged with assault and battery, police said. 

Man arrested for several car break-ins

A Waltham man was arrested on Jan. 14 after he allegedly entered several cars while they were parked in a lot off Watertown Street.

According to reports, Newton Police responded to the area of Watertown Street for reports of a suspicious Hispanic male wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and a grey jacket. The man was reportedly entering vehicles in the parking lot. 

When police arrived on scene, they spotted a man matching the description and identified him as Anthony Taranto, 27, of 78 Harvard St. Taranto was placed under arrest for breaking and entering a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and receiving stolen credit cards, police said. 

Reports said eight vehicles appeared to have been entered, all of which had the contents of the glove boxes and center consoles spilled out on the seats and floors of the cars.

K-9 search for break-in suspect

Newton Police and the department's K-9 unit responded to Beaconwood Road around 2:15 a.m. on Jan. 14 for reports of a vehicle break-in that had just occurred. 

According to reports, the K-9, Dakota, was deployed alongside the apartment building at 77 Beaconwood Road. Dakota picked up a scent immediately and headed down Beaconwood Road toward the path to Cold Spring Park. 

Once officers reached the path, they noticed fresh footprints in the snow. The K-9 continued to track the scent through Cold Spring Park, leading officers to a black jacket that appeared to have been discarded by the suspect. Tracking continued through the trails to Cochituate Road and Plymouth Road before Dakota lost the scent near Plymouth Road and Kingston Road, reports said. 

The suspect was described as a light-skinned black or Hispanic male, approximately 5'10" tall, thin build, wearing a dark jacket, sneakers and jeans. The suspect also had tattoos on the back of his hands.

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