Watertown Police identified a man wanted for stealing $2,400 from Best Buy by using sleight of hand to pocket some cash while paying with the help from across the pond.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Nelson Adam, 22, of New York, for the incident that took place on Sept. 26, 2023, according to Watertown Police Sgt. Ken Swift. The WPD put a photo of the man on a network used by law enforcement agencies to share information, and seek assistance.
“A detective from the UK, in London, recognized the person,” Swift said. “An intelligence analyst out of the UK, he had seen him and was able ID him. He had been involved in the same scam other places.”
Adam is wanted for similar scams in Waterford, Connecticut; Boston; Arkansas; multiple places in the United Kingdom; as well as other places, Swift said.
The warrant is for a charge of larceny over $1,200.
Incidents
The following information is provided by the Watertown Police Department:
Oct 9, 1:30 p.m.: Two women walked into Work N Gear at the Watertown Mall and caused a disturbance. One got upset and began to pull items off the racks and threw them on the floor. When an employee tried to stop her, the woman struck her on the arm with an open hand. Police were called, but officers were not able to locate the suspects. Nothing was taken from the store.
Oct. 9, 2:35 p.m.: A resident of Pleasant Street had two shipments that were supposed to arrive on Sept. 15, but she did not receive them. One contained $690 worth of clothing and shoes priced at $595. The other had items valued at $350.
Oct. 10, 10:40 a.m.: A customer at Tresca’s became upset about how long it was taking his food to arrive. He began yelling and when a waitress approached to speak with him the man stood up, grabbed her by the arm, and shook her aggressively. She was able to break free, and the customer was removed by the owner. The man had left the area when police arrived. The waitress was visibly upset but did not want any medical treatment.
Oct. 10, 8 p.m.: Security at Target recognized a man from previous shoplifting incidents. The man was seen going through the self-checkout with multiple items but did not scan them. When security confronted the man, he left the items behind and left the store. The men’s clothing and home goods were worth about $185. Police are investigating.
Oct. 10, 11:30 p.m.: Police responded to Morse Street for a car that struck parked vehicles. They found a Ford Escort with heavy front-end damage, and a Chrysler and a Honda CR-V that had suffered damage. Officers spoke to the man and noticed he had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, and he had glassy, bloodshot eyes. The man said he had a few drinks at a family member’s house and fell asleep when he was driving home. He did not have a valid Massachusetts drivers license. Edgar Soloman Morales, 29, of Watertown, was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol and was cited for marked lanes violation.
Oct. 11, 3 p.m.: An employee at Ulta Beauty in Arsenal Yards discovered cash and a credit card were missing from a pouch on the back of her cell phone case. She had left it on the counter at the front of the store. Security video showed a man walk up to the front register, notice the cell phone, pick it up, remove $30 in cash plus a health care card and a credit card, and leave the store.
Oct. 12, 10 a.m.: A Beacon Park resident received a credit card statement in the mail but had not applied for the card. She contacted the bank and had the account frozen. The bank reimbursed her the money and closed the account.
Oct. 12, 11 a.m.: A person came to the Watertown Police Station to report unauthorized credit card purchases made in Watertown. Charges were made to the Rockland Trust account for $388 at Old Navy, $758 at Best Buy, $509 at Target, and $3.84 at Pokeworks. Police got images of the suspect from security cameras.
Oct. 12, 5:30 p.m. An Irving Street resident returned from a vacation and found that the glass portion of the rear storm door had been shattered. It appears someone threw an object through the window. There were no signs that the person got into the house, and nothing was missing from the home. The damage will cost $1,185 to fix.