The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
April 28: A juvenile was seen taking merchandise from Nike valued at $50.
April 28: A woman carrying two tote bags went into Ulta and took two creams worth $125 and $89.
April 29: Security at Target spotted a woman taking items. She left the store before police arrived but was located in the area. She had taken $203.60 worth of merchandise. When she was being booked officers found a white powder that turned out to be drugs. Michelle Digaetano, 44 of Quincy, was arrested for shoplifting and possession of drugs. She also had two warrants for her arrest, one from Malden and one from Quincy.
April 30: A man was driving on Mt. Auburn Street when police ran his vehicle’s registration. Officers found the driver had a suspended license and pulled the vehicle over. Sergio Hernandez Fabian, 31 of Watertown, was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended license.
April 30, A woman went into Carter’s and took two pajama sets and a top with a total value of $82.
April 30: A Bromfield Street responded to a business post on social media saying that she would receive her first four lawn cuts for $160. The resident paid the money but did not get the service.
May 1: A man went into the CVS on Mt. Auburn Street and used a counterfeit bill to try and buy a $100 gift card. When he was confronted by employees the man fled the store. He had been seen doing the same thing in other CVS locations.
May 1: A man took $138.09 worth of NFL trading cards and Pokemon cards from Target.
May 1: A woman went into Best Buy and tried to buy a smart ring using $500 in cash. One of the bills was a fake prop bill.
May 1: A teen took $108 in cosmetics and food from Target.
May 3: Neighbors spotted a man trying to break into a home on Oliver Street at around 6:30 p.m. on May 2. He tried to break the front door with a baseball bat by breaking the top window and tried to reach in. When a neighbor confronted the man he left the area. On May 3, about 4 a.m., the suspect returned with a sawzall and tried to break into the same home. Police were called and stopped him. Raffi Dertorossian, 59 of Watertown, was arrested on two counts of breaking and entering for a felony. The investigation is still underway.
May 4: A man took a PlayStation controller that cost $75 from Best Buy.
The good news: on a recent trip to Target, I saw many items freed from lock and key. I was able to buy detergent without a chaperone for the first time in a long time. The bad news: I couldn’t use the self-checkout lanes. They were closed, all 12(?) of them. I had to take my spot in the single open standard checkout lane, offering my spot to anyone behind me with only an item or two. How many steps forward and how many back I leave for the individual to determine. Kleptomania is so common in the aisles of Target (and Best Buy, Nike, Ulta, CVS, etc.), I wonder why anyone pays anymore. Those who do, pay for every theft, that’s for sure. I see some private security in the Arsenal Yards, but rarely even a single cruiser in the Watertown Mall. It’s like putting cheese in a mousetrap, but not setting the trap. Along with a second ambulance, the town could use a permanent shoplifting patrol—and a functioning justice system—to protect society from these scavengers. If this is progress, or progressivism, you can keep it.
CA finally repealed the law that allowed shoplifters to take $1,000 of merch before they would be charged. MA usually follows CA in putting in place the most restrictive laws. Wouldn’t it be nice if we followed their reversal on this issue!
It’s the old broken window rule. If people aren’t punished, the problem continues to grow. Josh, you are right. We are all paying for the theft in many ways.
We already have laws to punish thieves regardless of the monetary value of the stolen property. They are just not being enforced by the courts and its officers.
From MGL, C. 266:
“ Section 30: Larceny; general provisions and penalties
Section 30. (1) Whoever steals, or with intent to defraud obtains by a false pretence, or whoever unlawfully, and with intent to steal or embezzle, converts, or secretes with intent to convert, the property of another as defined in this section, whether such property is or is not in his possession at the time of such conversion or secreting, shall be guilty of larceny, and shall, if the property stolen is a firearm, as defined in section one hundred and twenty-one of chapter one hundred and forty, or, if the value of the property stolen exceeds $1,200, be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years, or by a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars and imprisonment in jail for not more than two years; or, if the value of the property stolen, other than a firearm as so defined, does not exceed $1,200 shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than $1,500.”
And Michelle Digaetano, now 44, has been naughty for sometime. In the interim, our state government continues to encourage recidivism.
“ Posted Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 8:49 am ET
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Updated Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 9:15 am ET
The following information was supplied by the Malden Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.
Tuesday, Jan. 17
Michelle DiGaetano, 30, of 39 Boylston St. in Boston, was arrested and charged with breaking and entering daytime and conspiracy.”