This week police made three traffic stops that resulted in one citation and two verbal warnings. Police also assisted two motorists with disabled vehicles and fielded seven calls about road hazards. The ambulance crew responded to seven medical emergencies and took five people to the hospital, one with Advanced Life Support on board; two people refused treatment.
Tuesday, March 1
A Park Lane resident called at 4:04 a.m. to report that a large tree had fallen across the road, making it impassable. Police contacted the Department of Public Works and stood by to watch for traffic while the DPW cut up the tree and removed it with a front-end loader. This was one of several reported incidents of trees down around town, brought about by high winds Tuesday and into Wednesday. At 5:35 a.m. an officer on patrol noticed that some construction fencing at Town Hall had blown over and stood by to direct traffic while the work crew that had been summoned repaired it. At 5:37 p.m. a Littleton County Road resident called to report a child missing. Police say the resident later found that the child had been hiding in the yard. At 7:19 p.m. a resident stopped at the station to report having been sideswiped while driving on Still River Road. The motorist reported that another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction had drifted over the center line, striking his car’s side mirror. He pulled over to exchange insurance information with the other driver, but that driver left the scene. Boxborough police called at 10:41 p.m. to alert Harvard officers about a car being driven erratically on Route 111 heading toward Harvard. Harvard police did not locate the vehicle.
Wednesday, March 2
At 12:07 a.m. Ayer police called Harvard police, along with a unit from Shirley, for assistance at the scene of a shooting in Ayer. Police say a resident in an Ayer apartment had fired a gun, and the shots went through a wall into the next apartment, where a woman was struck and injured. Harvard and Shirley police set up a perimeter around the area and assisted Ayer police in a search for the alleged shooter. The suspect was eventually apprehended by Ayer police, who are investigating the incident. At 4:46 p.m. Bolton police called, asking Harvard officers to notify a Harvard resident that her purse had been found in Bolton.
Thursday, March 3
An Ayer Road resident called at 6:44 a.m. to report being victimized by a phone scam. According to police, the person received a telephone call from someone purporting to be from Microsoft, who said they had been monitoring the caller’s computer and discovered a virus. They instructed the person to log onto a website to allow them access to the computer so they could fix it. As the interchange between the caller and the scammer progressed, the caller caught on to the scam and realized that the scammer had gained access to his credit card and bank accounts and then ended the call. Police advised the caller to notify the credit card company and bank that the accounts had been compromised. Someone stopped at the station at 10:29 a.m. to report a case of sexual assault. The case is under investigation.
Friday, March 4
Nothing of significance to report.
Saturday, March 5
At 3:11 p.m. police were called to the scene of a single-car accident on Ayer Road near Sorrento’s. Police say the car was headed north when a wheel came off and rolled across the road into the Sorrento’s parking lot. The car slid along the road on its frame until it came to rest on the side of the road. The car, which suffered serious damage to the undercarriage, was towed. The driver, who was not injured, told police that he had just had new tires put on the car in Fitchburg.
Sunday, March 6
At 12:13 p.m. firefighters were called to a West Bare Hill Road home, where a permitted brush fire was out of control. They extinguished the blaze and soaked the surrounding area to prevent any stray embers from reigniting. Police received an emergency call at 1:42 p.m. reporting a fight between two students behind the Bromfield School. Police and ambulance personnel were dispatched; one person was taken to the hospital. The incident is under investigation.
Monday, March 7
A Prospect Hill Road resident called at 5:54 a.m. to report hearing what sounded like footsteps coming from the third floor above her bedroom. Police checked the residence and grounds but found nothing unusual. An Old Littleton Road resident called at 12:07 p.m. with concerns about someone who had been seen taking pictures of the residence. Someone stopped at the station at 5:45 p.m. to report that while hiking near the railroad tracks at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, he had come upon some grain left across the tracks and was concerned that someone might be trying to bait wild animals for hunting. Police are investigating.
