The Watertown Fire Department has requested adding enough paramedics to run a second ambulance. Currently, the Fiscal Year 2026 budget does not include the money for the eight paramedics, but the request will be discussed by a City Council committee. On Tuesday, April 29, the City Council’s Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight will continue its discussion of the proposal to add eight paramedics. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Third Floor Conference Room in City Hall and will also have remote participation. See the agenda and links here.
Police/Fire
Two Protesters Struck by Truck Mirror Near Tesla Facility, No Serious Injuries Occurred
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Two people were struck by a vehicle’s side mirror during a protest at the Tesla repair facility on Pleasant Street in Watertown Saturday. No serious injuries were reported. Watertown Police officers, who were on the scene of what is becoming a weekly protest, attended to the two people struck. Both refused medical treatment, according to the statement from the WPD. Police also identified a suspect, but no further information was released.
Police/Fire
Third Group of Suspects in Busted Multi-State Brothel Identified
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A third set of alleged customers of a multi-state prostitution ring that used local luxury apartments, including in Watertown, were revealed on Friday. Among the apartment buildings in which the brothel operated out of was Blvd & Bond apartments in Arsenal Yards in Watertown, as well as buildings in Watertown, Cambridge, Dedham Virginia and California. The 10 men identified in court Friday, according to NBC10 Boston, include: Amrit Chaudhuri of Brookline, Mitchell Rubenstein of Chestnut Hill, Marshall Berenson of Cambridge, Harmanpreet Singh of Woburn, Kenneth Posco of Fitchburg, George Wu of Needham, Patrick Enright of Wakefield, Suren Chelian of Lexington, Sankara Asapu of Malden, and John Cascarano of Hingham. The Boston Globe reported that the court “identified a complaint that police sought” against Paul J. Urban of East Bridgewater. He did not receive the proper summons, so his hearing will take place on April 25.
Police/Fire
Police Log: Multiple Shoplifters Arrested, Victim Thinks Tires Were Slashed Due to Political Sticker, Child’s Bike Stolen
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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. March 20: Someone entered the lobby of an office on Main Street and took two laptops — a MacBook and a Dell — each of which was valued at $500. March 20: A person went into Best Buy to buy a 65-inch TV that cost $2,300. The transaction was not complete but the person loaded the TV into a Subaru Forester and drove away. Police are investigating.
Police/Fire
10 More Accused Customers of Busted Brothel Ring Revealed, Including Cambridge Councilor
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The identities of 10 more men who allegedly bought sex through a local brothel ring that operated out of luxury apartments, including in Watertown, were revealed on Friday. One of the men, Paul Toner, is a Cambridge City Councilor, according to WBUR. The multi-state prostitution ring used apartment buildings in Watertown, Cambridge, Dedham Virginia and California, including Blvd & Bond apartments located in Arsenal Yards in Watertown. The 10 defendants revealed on Friday were: Toner, of Cambridge; James C. Cusack, of Concord; Anurag Bajpayee, of Cambridge; Jeffrey Henry, of Exeter, N.H.; Steven Riel of Laconia, N.H.; Howard Redmond, of Tewksbury; Frederick G. Rosenthal, of Marblehead; Timothy Ackerson, of Waltham; Matthew Ellis Fulton, of Belmont; and Nathaniel Welch, of Concord. Last week, the first dozen suspects were revealed.
Police/Fire
Police Log: Suspect Arrested After Taking Items from 2 Stores, Man Refused to Leave Nursing Facility
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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. March 8: Police responded to Best Buy for a shoplifter. They got the man’s description and located the suspect near Hampton Inn & Suites. The man admitted to shoplifting from Best Buy and had two speakers in a bag. When he took the speaker he removed the “spider” anti-theft devices.
Police/Fire
Fallen Watertown Firefighter Remembered Eight Years After Dying in House Fire
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Watertown Fire DepartmentFirefighter Joseph Toscano, a 21-year veteran of the Watertown Fire Department, died on March 17, 2017 after collapsing during a fire. St. Patrick’s Day is a somber one for the Watertown Fire Department. Each year since 2017 Watertown Firefighters pay tribute to Joe Toscano, who lost his life fighting a fire on Merrifield Avenue. On Monday, current and former members of the Watertown Fire Department lined up on Bigelow Avenue, near the home where Toscano collapsed and died during a house fire.
Police/Fire
Registration for Middlesex Sheriff’s Youth Public Safety Academy Opens Soon
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The following announcement was provided by the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office:
Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian is pleased to announce registration for the 2025 Youth Public Safety Academy (YPSA) will open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. YPSA is an educational and affordable summer program that is open to all children – ages 8-12 – living in Middlesex County (link to promotional video). Older children also have the opportunity to participate as a Counselor-in-Training. Held at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) Training Academy in Chelmsford, YPSA is comprised of five, one-week camps. Registration is $100 per child (per week) and includes transportation to and from designated bus stops; daily breakfast, lunch and snacks; and a graduation ceremony held each Friday.
Police/Fire
Names of a Dozen Accused Customers of Busted Brothel Ring Revealed at Court Hearing
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The identities of 12 of the men accused of being customers of an interstate prostitution ring which used apartments in buildings, including in Watertown and Cambridge, were released on Friday in Cambridge District Court. One of the apartment building used by the prostitution ring was Blvd & Bond apartments located in Arsenal Yards in Watertown. Other places used by the ring were located in Cambridge, Dedham, Virginia, and California. The accused were identified about 16 months after the bust of the high-end commercial sex ring which operated in Massachusetts and Virginia. At the hearing, Cambridge District Court Clerk Sharon Casey said she would file charges against all of them, according to a report by Boston 25 News.