WAKEFIELD — A 22-year-old Peabody driver faced several charges this morning after she took an early righthand turn at the bottom of Forest Street and got hung up on MBTA commuter rail tracks in Greenwood early Sunday morning.
Natasha R. Farren, 1 Griffin Rd., Peabody was traveling east on Forest Street around 12:40 a.m. when she turned right onto the tracks. A citizen called police to report the incident.
Shortly after police arrived, and based on certain observations and field tests made by officers, Farren was arrested for operating under the influence of liquor, a marked lanes violation and possession of a Class B drug.
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The number of local residents whose Social Security numbers have been fraudently used to file IRS tax returns continued to grow over the weekend.
On Friday, a Shady Avenue couple reported around 4:15 p.m. that they filed a return and were notified by the IRS that one had already been filed under at least one of their Social Security numbers.
On Saturday around 11:15 a.m. a Molly Circle resident reported a similar incident had happened to him. At 5:30 p.m. a Mansion Road resident reported the same thing. At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, an Elm Street resident told police he was informed by MasterCard representatives that someone used his personal information to attempt to open a MasterCard account, although the attempt was denied. The man also told officers that a fradulent tax returned had been filed in his name at some earlier point this tax season.
Police emphasized that while it is too late for this year, taxpayers should try to file their returns as soon as they can next year to minimize the chances of their Social Security numbers being used by other people to get money not owed to them.
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On Saturday around 7:10 p.m., an Albion Street shop owner said she was scammed out of $600. At some point before her report, the victim said she turned on her business computer and found a pop-up message saying she had been “hacked.” She also said her computer was frozen.
She said she was provided a link which demanded she pay $600 to get her computer unlocked. Unfortunately, she paid the amount, police said.
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Police continue to investigate the apparent theft of several thousand dollars from a Sheffield Road home.
The resident told police Friday around 4 p.m. that money was missing from an envelope she kept in the bedroom. She said workers with a cleaning company she hired may be suspects. Police are looking into the company.
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Police issued a citation Saturday morning around 10:30 a.m. to the driver of a 2004 Acura after he failed to follow the rules at the Prospect Street-North Avenue-Church Street traffic lights.
The Acura was stopped at the light on Prospect Street heading east in the left hand turn lane. When the light turned green, the driver instead went straight, colliding with a motorist in the correct lane heading the same way.
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In other business over the last three days, police dealt with several types of calls. Here’s a sampling:
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
• At 11:29 a.m., police were told an elderly woman had fallen inside Shaw’s Supermarket. Firefighters and Action Ambulance personnel were notified.
• A citizen reported snow was being removed and put into the middle of Salem Street around 11:35 p.m., creating a hazard. Police reported finding not impediment to traffic.
• A Melvin Street resident reportedly collapsed at home around 1:10 p.m. Emergency medical personnel with the Fire Department and Action Ambulance responded.
• A large pot hole was reported at 5:15 p.m. in the middle of a section of Lowell Street. The hole was coned off and the pot hole filled by the DPW.
• A concerned citizen reported smoke in the area of Nahant Street and Stark Avenue around 9:45 p.m. Firefighters responded and found it to be steam from a dryer vent.
• A man wearing a black shirt and tan pants who reportedly was dancing in the middle of the Albion and Tuttle streets intersection just before midnight was take to a Lake Street home.
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
• A man was reportedly stuck in an elevator at the Crystal View Apartments just before midnight. Firefighters responded and found no one stuck in an elevator.
SUNDAY, MARCH 29
• The commuter rail gates on Greenwood Street were rpeortedly stuck in the down position around 11:25 a.m.
• A larceny was reported to police by a Valley Street resident around 3:05 p.m.
• A elderly woman told police someone was trying to break into her Paon Boulevard home around 5:30 p.m. Police said everything appeared in order.
• The Greenwood Street railroad were stuck down again at 5:33 p.m.
• Someone on New Salem Street reportedly fell off a ladder and hit his head around 7:10 p.m. He was taken to Lahey Clinic in Burlington.
• A motor vehicle was reportedly broken down on the commuter rail tracks at the North Avenue and Albion Street intersection around 10 p.m. Howe’s Towing was called and dealt with the disabled vehicle.
