Police Log: Officers Called to Small Fire at a Winchester Church

[Editor's note: The following information comes from the Winchester Police Department. When arrests are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.]

Police, Fire Respond to Fire at First Congregational Church

At 1:52 p.m. Feb. 1, police and fire responded to the First Congregational Church in Winchester for a report of a fire alarm. Smoke could be seen coming from a second floor office, which was cleared after firefighters opened a few windows, according to police.

Water damage, caused from sprinklers being activated, was found in the office where the fire originated, in the hallawys and adjacent rooms on the second floor, as well as in the rooms and hallways directly below, according to police. The auditorium also sustained water damage, according to police. 

"(The) fire (was) caused by a candle caught fire to the bureau it was on, traveled up the wall and made contact with (the) ceiling," reads the log. Ceiling tiles and the plastic shields covering them caught on fire

Man Falls Through Ice at Winter Pond

At 11:48 a.m. Feb. 5, police responded to the "big side" of Winter Pond for a report of a man that fell through the ice. Police were met by a passerby who witnessed a man fall through the ice. Upon arrival, officers found the man struggling to get himself back onto the ice and out of the water, according to police. Just as officers got rope and a blanket, the man got out of the water and started skating toward the shore when he collapsed, according to police. Officers helped the man to a cruiser, as the ambulance arrived, according to police. The man was transported to Lahey Clinic in Burlington, accoding to police.

Feb. 1

9:54 a.m.: Police conducted a motor vehicle stop at Parkview Condominiums on Swanton Street. A 22-year-old Dorchester woman was allegedly operating a motor vehicle after license suspension, according to police.

1:06 p.m.: Police called to Orient Street on a report of past motor vehicle property damage. The caller reported seeing damage to the front bumper of their Chevy Malibu, and the "significant crack" may have been the result of someone kicking the bumper, according to police.

Feb. 2

9 a.m.: Police responded to the intersection of Elmwood Avenue and Park Street for a report of a motor vehicle hit-and-run accident. A parked 2011 Nissan Altima was sideswiped by a large white truck turning right from Elmwood to Park, according to police. The truck could not be found by police. The woman's car was towed from the scene, according to police. No transports logged. 

4 p.m.: Police called to a three-vehicle accident at the intersection of Pond and Cambridge Streets. No tows or transports logged.

Feb. 3

3:17 p.m.: Police responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Pond and Cambridge Streets. No tows or transports logged.

7:10 p.m.: Police called to Lockeland Road for a single-vehicle crash. The caller reported a vehicle crashed into a utility pole, according to police. The vehicle was towed from the scene, according to police. NSTAR was notified, according to police. No transports logged.

Feb. 4

7:08 a.m.: Police responded to Winchester Hospital for a report of a box truck that allegedly struck a steel overhang, causing minor damage to a corner of the overhang. No tows or transports logged.

7:36 p.m.: Police called to Yale Street for a report of lost or stolen license plates. A woman traveled to Burlington and back home to Winchester, when she noticed her plates missing off her Honda Civic, according to police. The plates were entered into the NCIC as stolen, according to police.

Feb. 5

8:45 a.m.: Police conducted a motor vehicle stop on Cambridge Street. Police stopped a gray 1999 Cadillac Eldorado, driven by a 48-year-old Melrose woman, who was informed by an officer that she would be cited for operating a motor vehicle with an expired registration. The vehicle was towed, according to police.

12:26 p.m.: Police responded to St. Mary's School for a report of motor vehicle vandalism. An after school teacher told officers that she heard a "loud sound" like a rock had struck the door of a vehicle, according to police. The woman found what she believed to be a BB pellet, which was tagged as evidence, according to police.