Police Log: Drug Charges, License Violation and a Car Ends up in a Brook

Man crashes car into brook, another man flees

A Waltham man was arrested early Friday morning after he allegedly fled a car accident and mislead police during an investigation.

Osvin Gonzalez, 22, of 61 Calvary St., was charged with misleading, intimidation, obstructing and delaying an investigation, police said. 

According to reports, officers responded to an area near North Street and Albemarle Road just before 1 a.m. for reports of a car that had crashed into the brook. According to witnesses, the occupants of the vehicle fled toward Nevada Street.

When officers they arrived on scene, they first went down into the brook and confirmed no one was in the vehicle. Police also shut off the vehicle, which was still running when they arrived.

Police then found the vehicle registration and sent Waltham Police to the address on the registration. However, the people at that address said the apparent owner (who was on the registration) did not live there. 

The Newton Police Department's K-9 unit was called to the scene, reports said, and officers attempted to search for the occupants of the car. While walking down Nevada Street, officers spotted a man (later identified as Gonzalez) walking up from the dead end section of Albemarle Road. 

When Gonzalez noticed police had spotted him, he began to run. Gonzalez eventually stopped, though, and was ordered down onto the ground. 

While searching Gonzalez, officers found a fake ID as well as a bank card using the same name. Gonzalez told officers he was not the one driving the car and he was not sure who was driving the car. However, reports said the ID Gonzalez had listed the same address as the vehicle's registration.

Reports said Gonzalez "kept misleading and delaying the investigation" and was placed under arrest. Once he was at the station, he told officers it was his cousin driving the car, not him. 

Additional information on further arrests or charges was not available. 

Newton man faces drug distribution charges

A Newton man was arrested late Thursday night/early Friday morning after police responded to for reports of young people making noise near the tennis courts. 

When officers arrived on scene around 11 p.m., they found a group of four people sitting on a bench by the tennis courts rolling what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette. Several brown bags with alcoholic containers were also found near the group.

When officers approached the group, a man (later identified as Christopher Baia) reportedly ran from the park. Once officers spoke with Baia, who was "sweating profusely", they asked if he had any drugs in his vehicle. 

According to reports, officers found several pieces of paraphernalia (glass pipe, metal ginders) in Baia's car as well as two bags of marijuana and a glass jar with marijuana.

Christopher Baia, 20, of 50 Carlton St., Newton was charged with distribution of a class D drug and trespassing, police said. 

The other parties at the scene were also cited for a city ordinance violation, possession of marijuana (less than one ounce). 

Newton man faces license charges

A Newton man was arrested Thursday, Aug. 30 after he was pulled over on Commonwealth Avenue for running a red light at the Lexington Street intersection.

Joseph Michael Brashears-Hunt, 28, of 280 Melrose St. Unit B, was wanted on a default warrant out of Brookline, reports said. He was also charged with driving with a revoked license and failure to comply with a stop signal, police said.

Break-in on Langley Road

Police responded to a home on Langley Road Thursday, Aug. 30 after a resident reported someone had attempted to break into his home.

According to reports, the resident left for work around 8 a.m. and when he returned around 4 p.m. he noticed the screen missing from his bedroom window and instead, the screen was on the ground outside the window. The locks on the window, which prevent it from being opened completely, also appeared to be damaged.

Reports said it did not appear the suspect was able to gain entry. No other windows on the property were damaged.

Missing bag

A woman at the told police Thursday, Aug. 30 she was sitting on a bench across from the main circulation desk when she left and went to the third floor for about 20 minutes, leaving her bag behind by accident. When she returned to the bench, the bag was missing. 

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