The following is based on selected Arlington Police Department logs from Aug.19 through Aug. 24. Excerpts from the department log:
Wednesday, Aug. 19
4:05 p.m. Accident. Arlington police received a report of an accident at the intersection of Freeman and Lake Street. The operator of motor vehicle one stated she had stopped and slowed down for traffic while heading northbound on Lake Street. The operator of vehicle two stated he was traveling northbound behind vehicle one, but was unable to stop during stop-and-go traffic before colliding with the first motor vehicle. There was moderate damage to the rear cargo door of motor vehicle one, but no injuries were sustained in the accident. The operator of motor vehicle two received a citation for following too closely.
Thursday, Aug. 20
2:31 p.m. Motor vehicle larceny. A U-Haul employee reported a stolen U-Haul truck to Arlington police at Arlington Self Storage on Brattle Court. When officers arrived on scene, the employee stated the truck had been parked in the lot and last seen at the end of the business day the day prior. When employees at Arlington Self Storage arrived to work the next morning, they discovered the lock box had been forced open and keys were missing. They searched the area and discovered the truck for those keys was also missing. Officers received video surveillance of the area from Arlington Self Storage so that matter is currently under investigation.
4:46 p.m. Shoplifting. A manager at the Walgreens on Mass. Avenue reported a shoplifting incident to Arlington police. The manager stated that when the suspect was paying for items at checkout, she placed some in her bag without paying for them. When officers arrived and approached the female suspect, she stated she had made a bad decision because she could not afford some of the products. The stolen products were a couple of cosmetic items, totaling $19. Officers issued a no-trespass order for that suspect if she were to return to that Walgreens.
Friday, Aug. 21
11:18 a.m. Larceny. An elderly man on Crescent Hill Avenue called Arlington Police to inform them of a phone scam he had received. He stated he had received a call from the suspect to inform him he had won $5 million. They informed him that the money was currently in the federal service so he needed to contact another party to receive it. Once he contacted the other number, they told him he needed to pay thousands of dollars in taxes to retrieve his winnings. If he failed to pay, they would take his house. He withdrew $2,000 in cash and mailed it to an address they had provided him, along with personal bank login information. This matter is under investigation by Arlington detectives.
11:44 a.m. Accident. Officers were notified of to the report of a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Elmhurst and Mass. Avenue. The operator of motor vehicle 1 stated he was in the left lane with a green light, so he proceeded to make a left-hand turn. According to him, the operator in the right lane struck the side of his car. He was adamant it was not his fault. The operator of motor vehicle two stated she was in the right lane and had the right of way on Massachusetts Avenue. She was turning left with her blinker on and saw motor vehicle 1 slightly ahead of her but still side by side with the vehicle in the left lane. Once they came upon the intersection, motor vehicle one turned into her lane with no blinker. There were no injuries to either party at the time of the accident, but there was minor scraping on the passenger side panel of vehicle one and a broken, detached bumper and headlight on vehicle two. The operator of motor vehicle one received a citation for a marked lane violation.
4:04 p.m. Breaking and entering. The reporting party was returning home on Hamlet Street when he noticed a broken window in his laundry room. Officers received an alarm call from that room. When officers arrived on scene, they conducted a walk-through with the resident and noticed that the window screen was lying on the ground and that the window appeared to have been forced open. They did a sweep of the house, but nobody was found inside. Additionally, nothing was taken or appeared to have been tampered with. There were no security cameras in the surrounding area from neighbors that caught the accident, but this matter is under investigation.
Monday, Aug. 24
7:57 p.m. Larceny. The reporting party at an apartment on Summer Street informed officers that his Amazon package had been stolen. He stated he had ordered steaks on Amazon priced around $10 to $15. He was tracking the delivery driver on the app for the location and delivery time. Once he noticed the driver was one stop away, he went downstairs to pick up the package left at the door. When he arrived downstairs, the package was gone. Arlington Housing monitors that building so officers will be requesting footage of that incident.
This installment of the police log, published on Aug. 26, 2026, is based on information from Arlington Police Department daily logs.
