Arrests

The driver of a pupil van was arrested Jan. 2 at 2:24 p.m. An officer on traffic enforcement on Orchard Street saw a Ford van going 35 miles per hour in a 20 mile per hour school zone. The driver was identified as Amanda M. Cormier, 22, of 95 College Farm Road in Waltham and was found to have a suspended license, said Police Lt. Michael Lawn. She was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended license and speeding.

Security at Target called police on Jan. 4 at 3:18 p.m. after a customer stole a vacuum cleaner worth $315. The man returned a box for a Dyson vacuum cleaner but when they looked inside an older, different kind of vacuum, Lawn said. Security spotted the man leaving in a BMW SUV and got his license plate. Police identified the driver as Gabriel Askarinam, 32, of 296 Summit Ave. Apt. 3 in Brighton, and called him. Askarinam came in to the store and returned the vacuum. He was arrested on a charge of larceny of merchandise worth more than $250.

On Jan. 5 at 10:05 p.m., police pulled over a driver when the officer on patrol discovered the registered owner of the 2004 Acura had a suspended license, Lawn said. The driver was pulled over on California Street at Fifth Avenue and when the officer asked him to identify himself he gave a false name. Police were able to identify the driver as Youngsun Park, 37, of 38 Pratt St. Apt. 2 in Allston, Lawn said. He was arrested for driving with a suspended license and refusing to identify himself.

Incidents

A Main Street resident reported on Jan. 3 at 6:40 a.m. that someone had broken into his car. The thief rummaged through the glove compartment of the 1997 Nissan Altima and stole a wallet with $2 cash, a driver’s license and a gift card, Lawn said. The man heard a noise around 4 a.m. but did not investigate.

A resident on Langdon Avenue reported that someone went through his and his wife’s cars – a 2000 Toyota Camry and a 1998 Honda – while they were parked in the driveway, Lawn said. The only thing missing was some loose change. They reported to incident at 8:37 p.m. on Jan. 3.

A bag containing a hard drive and a cell phone was taken out of a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, which was parked on Watertown Street. The break in was reported on Jan. 5 at 8:29 a.m.

On Jan. 6 at 10:31 a.m., police received a report of a smashed front window at The W House of Pizza on Mt. Auburn Street. What broke the window is unknown.

A woman told police that someone took her wallet when she was shopping at the Stop & Shop on Pleasant Street on Jan. 4, and she reported it on Jan. 6, Lawn said. She said a man distracted her by asking about some of the products, and afterward she noticed her wallet was gone. It contained $25 in cash, credit cards and a driver’s license. Her credit cards had been used at Lord & Taylor and Best Buy stores in Burlington.

On Jan. 6 at 9:27 p.m., a man reported that his car 2003 Chevy Impala had been stolen from the back parking lot at the Arsenal Mall, between 8:40 p.m. and 9:20 p.m., Lawn said. On Jan. 8, the car was found in Brighton and the interior had fire damage.

A woman working at the Watertown Center for the Healing Arts found a man going through her purse on Jan. 7, Lawn said. She saw the man, in the lobby, and then she left for a few minutes. When she returned he was looking in her purse. She confronted him and he fled. The suspect is described as a dark-skinned white male, with a small build and in his 30s or 40s and had one eye that was half-closed.

On Jan. 8 at 6:23 a.m., police received a report that somebody threw a brick against the glass door in the back of Citizens Bank on Mt. Auburn Street, Lawn said. No one was able to enter the bank.

A woman shopping at Target on Jan. 8 at 3:13 p.m. had her purse stolen. She had it in her carriage, and left for a few minutes. When she returned it was missing. It contained a credit card, a checkbook, $500 in cash, a passport and a set of keys. Police are investigating.