Man Tells Police He Lost $1,500 in Hostage Scam

The following excerpts are from reports in the Peabody Police Department press log on Oct. 3-4.

Thursday, Oct. 3

• 2:03 p.m. Alexander Perez, 29, of 111 Foster St. #520, Peabody, was arrested at his apartment on a warrant out of Boston. Peabody officers assisted Boston police with taking Perez into custody.
• 4:13 p.m. A caller reported an erratic operator in the area of Russell and Lowell streets. Police said it was an elderly female suffering from fatigue and she was asked not to drive anymore that day.
• 4:26 p.m. A caller at the Park Place mobile home park reported a dispute with his neighbor. He did not want the man speaking to his 50-year-old daughter.
• 5:06 p.m. A Highland Street resident reported fraud concerning a cable bill.
• 5:53 p.m. State environmental police requested assistance with a pair who failed to stop for officers on Elizabeth Lane. Tyler Sweeney, 20, of 10 Madison St., Lynn, and Jenaka Sawall, 25, of 4 Sophia Rd., Salem, were both arrested and booked as a courtesy for another department (environmental police).
• 7:56 p.m. A caller at Stop & Shop reported he defrauded of $1,500 in a "Western Union hostage scam."
• 10:36 p.m. A caller reported youths inside a vehicle at Lahey Medical Center were smoking pot. The car left before officers arrived.

Friday, Oct. 4

• 5:27 a.m. A caller at Holiday Inn reported all four tires were stolen off her car.
• 7:31 a.m. A desk clerk at the Homewood Suites Hotel on Route 1 reported the tires were stolen off a car parked there.
• 7:57 a.m. A caller at a Crane Brook Way residence reported a theft of jewelry and prescription medication.
• 9:11 a.m. A caller at Final Finish on Walnut Street reported some items were stolen from his car.
• 11:22 a.m. A caller reported a hit-and-run accident on Route 114 near 300 Andover St. and the caller was following the suspect vehicle into Peabody. Police stopped the car on North Street just over the line into Salem and took Cindy L. Cooper, 55, of South Carolina, into custody. She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of an open container of alcohol in the vehicle.
• 1:47 p.m. A caller reported a possible abandoned boat near St. Mary's Cemetery on Margin Street. Police located the boat and spoke with the owner, who said he actually sold the boat and trailer to another person a couple days before. He said he would forward the name of that person over to police. The man called the station back to say he would have Phil's Towing tow the boat over to the dump.