Around Town

Vandals Spray Graffiti on Gravestone of Prominent Priest in Catholic Cemetery

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Visitors of a Watertown cemetery this week found several gravestones vandalized including the grave of a prominent Catholic priest. The graves lie in the Sandy Banks Cemetery, also referred to as the Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery, near Cottage Street, and one of the defaced gravestones belongs to Father Manasses P. Dougherty, who helped found many Catholic churches in the Cambridge area. Dougherty is one of many graves that had been researched by Newton resident Bill McEvoy, who spotted the red spray paint on the monuments and headstones on Aug. 10. First McEvoy and others approached Mount Auburn Cemetery, however, while the Catholic Cemetery abuts the Mount Auburn Cemetery, it is not part of that property, said Bree Harvey, Vice President of Cemetery & Visitor Services at Mount Auburn Cemetery.

Lifesaver

Belmont Teen Honored for Reviving Young Boy Who Nearly Drowned in Watertown

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A young boy is still alive thanks to the quick action of a Belmont teen who lifeguards at Watertown’s Oakley Country Club. On June 11, John Stewart was just getting off his shift when he heard that a boy had stopped breathing while swimming in the shallow end of the pool. He gave emergency life-saving aid and after giving the 11-year-old boy, named Brian, two rounds of  CPR the boy threw-up the water and he opened his eyes, according to a report by WHDH Channel 7. Brian survived and remains in contact with Stewart. On Thursday, Watertown Police Chief Michael honored 19-year-old Stewart for his heroics.

Federal Court

Feds Charge Watertown Resident, Restaurant Manager with Tax Fraud

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A manager of two Boston-area restaurants who lives in Watertown was charged today in federal court in Boston with tax fraud, the office of Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb District of Massachusetts announced. The US Attorney’s office sent out the following release:

Burhan Ud Din, 48, of Watertown, was indicted on one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and 12 counts of failing to withhold and pay employee taxes to the IRS. Two of Din’s co-conspirators, Hazrat Khan, 57, of Middletown, NY, and Khurshed Iqbal, 57, both Pakistani nationals, were charged in an April 2017 18-count superseding indictment with conspiracy and willful failure to pay over taxes. Khan previously pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later this year. Iqbal’s whereabouts are unknown.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Woman Tries to Use Fake Prescription, Former Friendly’s Worker Makes a Ruckus

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
Aug. 1, 6:30 p.m.: Officers monitoring traffic in the area of Watertown Square observed a vehicle making an illegal turn. Officers stopped the vehicle and, while speaking with the operator, discovered that his driver’s license had been suspended. The 33-year-old man from New Bedford was arrested for operating with a suspended driver’s license and received a citation for the traffic offense.

Entertainment

Family Movie Night This Week Hosted by Watertown Police, Recreation Department

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The Watertown Police and the Recreation Department will host the second Family Movie Night on Friday, Aug. 11. The moving will be the animated film Sing​. The event runs from 6:30-10 p.m.

The festivities will be held outside in the park at 552 Main St., behind the Police Station

6:30- 8:00 Games, Face Painting, Popcorn, Pizza and Refreshments

8:00 The Movie will begin! Please park in the front of the police station!

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Warn Residents to Lock Cars After String of Break-Ins

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As a reminder that the days that people could leave their cars unlocked in Watertown are gone, the Police Department sent out a reminder to residents to make sure to lock their vehicles. On Thursday, the Watertown Police Department released the following statement:

Last evening [Wednesday], during the overnight hours, six vehicles were reported to have been broken into in the area of Piermont St. / Bennett Rd. If anyone has any information please call 617-972-6500. We would like to remind our residents to please remove valuables and lock your car doors, even if they are parked in your driveway!

Police/Fire

Police Log: String of Theft of Tools from Homes and Vehicles, Woman Victimized by IRS Scam

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
July 17, 4:40 p.m.: An officer patrolling in Watertown Square spotted a vehicle in the left turn lane on Galen Street go straight across the intersection onto Mt. Auburn Street. The officer pulled over the driver, who was unable to provide a driver’s license. Police found the man was driving without a license and was driving his brother’s car.

Arrests

Police Log: Man Attacked by 2 Men on Street, Details of School Bomb Threats

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
July 10, 8 p.m.: An officer in Watertown Square spotted a vehicle run a red light turning from Mt. Auburn Street onto Charles River Road. When police pulled the driver he said he did not have a license with him, but further investigation revealed that he has not had a valid license since May 2007. The 55-year-old Watertown man was arrested on the charge of driving with a suspended license, a subsequent offense.