NORWOOD – Residents in the Westover Parkway neighborhood awoke to an unsettling scene Thursday morning, as Norwood Police responded to a wave of overnight vehicle break-ins stretching across several adjacent streets.
The incident marks the second time this month that a Norwood neighborhood has been targeted by thieves executing a string of property crimes. Just weeks ago, police investigated a similar rash of connected vehicle break-ins in the Chapel St area, which appeared to be connected. This new rash of break-ins will no doubt raise concerns among local residents.
According to the Norwood Police Department’s dispatch logs, the activity began coming to light just after sunrise on June 25.
The first call came in at 6:21 a.m. from a resident on Yarmouth Road, who reported that both his vehicle and his wife’s vehicle had been entered overnight. Patrolman Joseph Mazzotta responded to the scene to file the initial report, which would quickly become the anchor file for a series of discoveries throughout the morning.
As neighbors began heading out for their morning commutes, more victims came forward. Over the next two hours, Patrolman Mazzotta canvassed the area, taking reports and discovering additional targeted vehicles.
The Norwood Police dispatch log detailed a steady stream of incidents including two Albemarle Road vehicles; two Westover Parkway vehicles; one Norwich Road and one Yarmouth Road vehicle. From the log it appears Officer Mazzotta took the proactive initiative to check with several other residents in the area, however no other breaks were reported that morning.
All of the morning’s break-ins are being investigated as a single, coordinated incident under case number 26NWD-569-OF. Norwood Police will not release a copy of the report while the crimes are being investigated. At the time of this article, Police Chief Padden had yet to respond to our request for comment.
The pattern closely mirrors the earlier June neighborhood spree which prompted authorities to remind Norwood residents to lock their vehicle doors, remove all valuables such as electronics, wallets, and bags from plain sight, and leave outdoor security lights on overnight.
Anyone in the Westover Parkway, Yarmouth Road, Albemarle Road, or Norwich Road areas who may have captured home security or doorbell camera footage between midnight and 6:00 a.m. on June 25 please contact the police department at (781) 440-5100. -RD
