Public Safety Report: Man living in empty building on Bear Hill Road arrested

Officers arrested a man who had been living for several months in an empty building on Bear Hill Road, with police saying he was living there illegally.

On Jan. 6 at 4:24 p.m., police responded to 221 Bear Hill Road where the owner of the vacant building had reported hearing “ruffling” inside. Due to recent break-ins, the owner was checking to make sure no one was there. The owner also noted that the locks had been changed a few weeks prior due to frequent unlocked doors and the presence of personal items that didn’t belong to anyone who had legal access to the building.

Once inside, police discovered three large plywood boards positioned into a makeshift shelter. They found two folding chairs and a small suitcase containing a brown Timberland-brand sock, two space heaters and a blow dryer inside the shelter. Upon investigation, police discovered a door in the building that did not lock properly and an open window.

While investigating the outside of the building, police reported encountering a man who was walking away from the adjacent building with an extension cord. The man was wearing mismatched socks, one of which matched the sock found in the suitcase. The man stated that the previous owner of 221 Bear Hill Road had let him camp outside and that the items inside of the building were his property. 

Police arrested the man and charged him with two counts of breaking and entering as well as a misdemeanor trespassing citation.

A summary of other police and fire activity from Jan. 1 to Jan. 7 is as follows:

On Jan. 1 at 11:17 p.m., police responded to reports of a larceny at the Extended Stay America on Fourth Avenue. A guest staying at the hotel reported three necklaces worth $4,000 were missing from the hotel room. According to the hotel, no one had entered the hotel room via key swipe while the guest wasn’t in the room. Police are waiting to obtain video from the hotel’s security cameras as part of the ongoing investigation.

On Jan. 2 at 12:09 p.m., police responded to a car break-in on Wellington Street. The reporting party stated that the car had been broken into between Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 and that a passport had been taken. Police said this incident is part of a chain of car break-ins in the area and the investigation of these incidents is ongoing.

On Jan. 2 at 3:55 p.m., police responded to Exchange Street where a car had struck a utility pole. The operator stated that he was distracted by a splinter in his eye he got from work that day. He was transported to a local hospital and was not cited with any violations. There was no damage to the utility pole.

On Jan. 3 at 7:21 p.m., police responded to the rear lot of Tempo restaurant on Moody Street. A car was exiting the lot onto High Street and struck a bicyclist. The bicyclist sustained minor injuries and declined transport to a local hospital. The driver of the car was cited with failure to use care while starting.

On Jan. 5 at 2:34 p.m., police responded to reports of a package theft on Doty Street. The reporting party said that when the package arrived, it appeared to have been opened and taped closed again and it did not contain the expected items – AirPods that had been ordered online. The reporting party is following up with the delivery company for more information.

On. Jan 7 at 6:59 a.m., police responded to Berkley Street where a newspaper delivery vehicle struck a house. The delivery person had parked the vehicle on a hill and had gotten out to deliver a newspaper. The vehicle then began to slide down the hill due to ice coating the road and hit the side of a house. The house’s vinyl siding was damaged, and the vehicle sustained minor damage. The delivery person was not cited due to the collision being caused by ice.

All information was obtained from spokespeople with the Waltham Police and Fire departments,the publicly available police blotterand police reports available at Waltham District Court.