What a waste of a perfectly good potato. A Sudbury resident reported this week that people were shooting a potato gun in the area. Responding officers were unable to locate the individuals, nor were they able to find the location of the caller. It was a mystery all around. Moral of the story: it was a nice thought, but don't try to be a cop unless you're planning to go to the police academy. Milford police chipped in this week to help Mendon police, who were pursuing an erratic driver. The driver abandoned his car in Milford and fled on foot. A Highway Department employee told police a white …

I wonder if his car was moved from the visitor spot to long-term parking. An allegedly drunk driver trying to make his way home from Marlborough this week took a detour and somehow ended up in a visitor's spot in the Sudbury Police Department parking lot. (He was arrested.) This Jetta's athletic attempt at a backflip prompted a police response. Ever since I watched Herbie, The Love Bug, I have been believed cars have personalities. This Jetta, owned by a Northborough resident, is a wannabe gymnast. An entry in the May 30 Northborough police log reads that the car "flipped over" in the …

Spiderwoman, she is not. A Marlborough woman's burglary attempt was foiled this week when she fell out of the window to an apartment she was trying to break into. After her fall, she hid in an unlocked van, where she was found by Marlborough police and subsequently arrested. Spiderman, he is. Houdini he is not. A burglar entered a Milford convenience store early Monday morning by dropping in through the roof and ceiling. He fled with an armful of cigarette cartons and, after apparently cutting himself on the glass door through which he escaped, he panicked, dropped a bunch of the cartons and …

This is either one smart dog, or a forgetful owner. Last Saturday in Shrewsbury, a person called 911 to report that his/her dog had been stolen from the White City Shopping Center. A short time later, the person called back to say the dog was at home.  Slow and steady wins the race. And blocks traffic. It's that time of the year when turtles start making an appearance on roadways near you. So perhaps it's not that unusual. But still, we find it funny, or at least cute, when we read that a turtle is blocking traffic, as this one did in Medfield recently. An offer for a ride turns into a ride …

If he had just gone to court the first time, this wouldn't have happened. A Fitchburg man found himself on the wrong side of the bar in Westborough District Court this week when he was arrested for failing to appear for jury duty. When police pulled him over for failing to stop/yield, they found that he was wanted for skipping out on jury duty. No doubt his trip to court as a defendant will be less pleasant—and more expensive—than if he had simply shown up for jury duty. Why did the turtle cross the road? In Shrewsbury, he crossed the road because if he had stayed in the middle of it, he …

The case of the annoying singer/honker. A woman kept Holliston dispatchers busy last week, when she was the subject of not one, not two, not three, but at least four 911 calls in two days. Apparently, she was harassing the caller, first by blocking her from passing on the street. (She had called earlier about advice on a court action.) Then, she was singing God Bless America loudly and honking his horn. The final call was from a neighbor, who was also perturbed by the loud singing and honking. Can you get pulled over for drunken-bicycle-driving?  A person called 911 in Milford on Tuesday …

Look out for bikers (who may be accidentally flashing you). Just as drinking and driving don't mix, neither do dresses and motorcycle driving. A woman on Monday afternoon told a Wendy's employee in Milford that a woman wearing a "pink flowered dress" had flashed her. An officer reported it didn't sound like an indecent exposure incident, but rather, a biker who didn't cover herself up enough. Mutual aid was not required for this "fire."  Officials have warned about the high threat of brush fires this week, and at least one area resident was particularly vigilant and on the lookout for …

Dog charges at human. Wait, no, correction: human charges at dog. Dogs are often getting flak for running after humans, but in this case, it's a human that was accused of "charging at" a dog (and his owner.) A man who was walking his dog in Holliston this week called police after a homeowner allegedly charged at him while his dog was relieving himself on a fire hydrant.  If it looks like a bat, flies like a bat, sounds like a bat: it's a duck. Dover police officers were called to a resident's house recently after the resident heard what she thought was a bat in her fireplace. Police responded…

Mastermind, she is (allegedly) not. A Marlborough woman must have been quite satisfied with her alleged scheme to get her boyfriend's ex-wife in hot water. The woman, at least for a little while, had police thinking that her boyfriend's ex was sending her harrassing text messages. She was so convincing that police got a warrant to arrest the ex. The problem is, when the ex was in custody, the woman continued to get the "threatening" text messages, which she continued to report to cops. As there was no way the ex could have been sending them while in custody without her phone, police found a …

Let this be a lesson, kids. Try to rob someone and you could get punched in the face. After allegedly demanding cash from another man and threatening to throw him over a railing at the Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough, a Shrewsbury man came away with a punch to the face and robbery charges. The kicker? (Or should we call it, "puncher?") The guy who tried to rob the other guy first punched a sign, apparently to indicate that he would punch the victim should he not hand over his cash. But instead of following through on his threat, the would-be-robber got punched by his victim, and was arrested…

Now, Honey Bunch, that's not very sweet of you. A Milford woman called police to report her cat was attacking her, and had chased her into the bathroom. (Good call: every cat I've ever known hates water.) Police and Animal Control responded, and found the woman was scratched, but otherwise OK. The cat, "Honey Bunch," was taken into custody. If you click here, you can see a picture of Honey Bunch, looking pretty darn menacing.  Perhaps she should have gone tire-testing when sober. A Marlborough woman's "road test" earned her the attention of Sudbury officers recently when she peeled out while …

Now, that's ironic. A Sherborn woman was at a Medfield restaurant when she called the cops to notify them there were three people she thought were standing outside of the restaurant waiting for her. Police responded and didn't find that the trio was doing anything. They left, the woman called them back, and when they returned, they ended up arresting her. Like a real son asking for money all the time isn't bad enough... A Medfield resident notified police he received a strange call from someone claiming to be his son (it was not) and asking for money.  Ick. A Weymouth teacher was arrested …

You might have read that Justin Bieber was on a downward spiral. But did you know he was taking others down with him - literally? Milford police used a Taser on a Grafton man this week after he reportedly pushed and tried to punch an officer who tried to arrest him. Police went to arrest the man after he allegedly tried to steal $400 worth of products from Target. Among the items in his shopping cart? Justin Bieber valentines. Perhaps the seat got a little chilly? A 911 caller this week reported a person sitting in a snow bank in Hopkinton. When an officer responded the person was no longer …

Snow can be a detective's best friend. It's hard to not leave a trace when you leave a trail of your footprints through the snow. Three alleged purse snatchers made Marlborough officers' job easier by running away through the snow: and leaving footprints that were easy to follow. When captured, the suspects also reportedly had two pounds of marijuana (also stolen). It's always the last place you look. A Medfield resident called the Fire Department in the last week reporting a smell of gas in the house. Firefighters responded and were able to locate the source: a gas can. It can't be easy, …

I'm guessing I know where this woman falls in the "women serving in combat" debate... A woman called Milford police to report her car would not start outside of Kohl's. A dispatcher told her several times that she needed to call a tow truck. A female officer responded, and reported back that the caller requested a male officer. The woman was advised that 911 is for emergencies only, and provided her with a business number for police. They may have gotten away with it, if not for the suspicious behavior... Workers at the Shaws Supermarket in Shrewsbury called police after seeing two women "…

Who doesn't talk to their cat? A Milford man reported his neighbors, a man and a woman, were yelling in an apartment near him. Police reported back that the woman said she talks loudly sometimes, and she said she was talking to her cat.  Elusive eggers. Yet-to-be-identified suspects egged a house not once, not twice, but three times in one night in Shrewsbury. The egg-throwers evaded police. Customer flips out over Dumpster I'm not sure why someone would think it'd be cool to use a business' Dumpster to discard their trash, but apparently, a visitor to a gas station in Holliston took great …

This thief can't wait until spring.  One bandit in Shrewsbury has tired of winter, and is thinking ahead. A resident this week reported that his riding lawn mower was stolen. We don't know the status of this case, but presumably Shrewsbury residents should report to police any sightings of a person riding a lawnmower in the middle of January. Glad to see I'm not the only one who finds this sketchy. Sometime over the summer, I was washing my car when a man in a beat-up pickup truck drove up, hopped out and cheerfully asked if I wanted to buy some meat. Rightfully suspicious, I backed away a …

Pantless man not included. A Realtor received an unexpected surprise in Holliston recently. Upon arriving at a house that was going to be shown to prospective buyers, the Realtor found a man who was passed out and wearing no pants. (The man was taken to the hospital for evaluation.) Friendly's is closed, you Turkey! If this turkey's aim was to gobble up some ice cream, he shouldn't have gone to the Medfield Friendly's, which is closed. A caller in Medfield was on the phone with police reporting first seeing a turkey at CVS, then at Friendly's.  Violence is not the way to handle a customer …

(Allegedly) drunk man parks on lawn of AA founder's home A Marlborough man was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Vermont after he parked his car on the front lawn of a birth house of one of Alcoholic's Anonymous' cofounders. The man was a guest at the building, which has 14 guest rooms and hosts AA meetings. Sometimes, you just need to get away. Holliston police received a report of a "rogue chicken" in the roadway at Washington and Prospect streets. The chicken was gone upon police arrival. The case of the late-night caroler. A Milford resident called police just before …

Are you considered "dressed" if you're wearing no clothes? A Milford man reported this week he was having a problem with his neighbor. The neighbor, he said, was now "inappropriately dressed," in front of his window. We're not sure what that means, exactly: but we're going to go with the theory that the man was not dressed at all. It's Dominick the Donkey! In Dover recently, police received a call for donkeys in the roadway. Officers found the animals' owners, and returned them to safety. In other wild animal news... A turkey has been terrorizing Natick this month. OK, so "terrorizing," might…