Crime Log: Falling Tree Squashes Van Parked on Swan Place

Crime log, Wednesday, April 22

• Tree Falls on Parked Vehicles, 4:15 p.m., Swan Place

A witness reported to an officer that as he walked up the ramp to his auto shop, he observed a tree fall from the bike path area onto a 2001 Honda van parked nearby. The tree also hit a 2010 Subaru, however the Subaru was not damaged. The cars were empty, and no people were injured in the incident.

• Suspicious Event, 5:53 p.m., Lafayette Street

A homeowner told police about two encounters with a man she said had been parking on her property - specifically a dead end street nearby an MBTA station - during the week. The first time she observed the man parking under a clearly marked “No Parking” sign, she frankly told him he’d have to leave his car elsewhere. He told her this was a public road where he had every right to park.

On Wednesday, she claimed she had a similar confrontation with the same man, except this time, he called her by her first name, which she found extremely disconcerting.

She left the area, and the suspicious motorist had also gone on his way by the time she returned home. Police advised her to avoid confronting this man again, and to call police if he ever came back.

Via the registered address of his car, police were able to track down and speak to the suspicious man. He told a slightly different tale - one where the reporting party was yelling and screaming at him during their initial encounter, and that he had merely looked up her information in order to make certain that he was, in fact, parking on a public road, which he claimed was the case. He offered to explain this to the reporting party, but police informed him that plan probably wouldn’t end well.

• Larceny, 9:35 p.m., Appleton Street

As an officer was speaking with a landlord claiming they were owned back rent from a recently-departed tenant, the same ex-tenant called police to retrieve possessions left in her former residence. The newly-departed tenant returned to the building, but discovered her laptop, book bag, and bag of clothes were nowhere to be found. The landlord told police she had previously left with all her belongings, and a roommate no had recollection of any possessions left behind by the former tenant.