DEC. 20 — A Wellington man was found dead early last Friday morning in the bathroom of a gas station on Forest Hill Blvd. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, a deputy from the Wellington substation was called to the gas station at approximately 2:26 a.m. by an employee to check on a man who had been in the bathroom for approximately two hours. According to the report, the deputy knocked on the bathroom door and received no response. The deputy then opened the door and found 26-year-old Matthew Swartz lying on the floor. According to the report, the deputy notified Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, which arrived and pronounced Swartz dead. There was no further information available at the time of the report.
DEC. 4 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was called to a home on Key Lime Blvd. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, regarding a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, on Tuesday, Dec. 3, the victim was notified that someone had changed the e-mail address linked to her bank account. The victim had not changed the information and did not authorize anyone else to do so. According to the report, someone put in several requests for money to be transferred out of the account and into another with the same bank. There were two transfers for $980 each requested. According to the report, the victim contacted her bank and was told the funds had not been transferred and the victim’s account had been frozen, along with the other account. The victim was able to provide a name for the account and an account number, but there was no further information available at the time of the report.
DEC. 14 — A resident of 40th Lane North called the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation Saturday, Dec. 14 to report a case of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the victim observed via a surveillance camera two unknown white males enter his vacant home before the camera went black. When he arrived at the home, he discovered the camera had been broken. The video camera was valued at approximately $100. There was no further information available at the time of the report.
DEC. 17 — A resident of 68th Street North called the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Tuesday to report a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, the victim received a call from her bank informing her that on Saturday, Dec. 14, someone made several suspicious charges on her debit card. According to the report, the perpetrator(s) made a charge at Comcast in Memphis, Tenn. for $861.78 and two charges at an Old Navy in Maine for $100 each. Additionally, two other charges were made and declined. According to the report, the victim did not make the charges, and she has been in possession of her card the entire time. She said she did not know how the card was compromised. There were no suspects at the time of the report.
DEC. 17 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a home on 49th Street North last Tuesday regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime last Monday, someone stole a license plate from the victim’s motor scooter. The scooter was not working and had been parked outside the victim’s home most of the time. According to the report, however, the victim towed the scooter to a service center near Southern Blvd. and Military Trail. The victim could not remember if the license was on the vehicle at the time, but she noticed it was missing when she picked it up. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.
DEC. 20 — A West Palm Beach man was arrested last Friday on drug charges following a traffic stop near the intersection of State Road 7 and Old Hammock Way. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation was dispatched to the area after a report of a suspicious vehicle. The deputy observed a 2000 Buick Century driven by 19-year-old Benson Charles driving 60 miles per hour in a 50-mph zone. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and made contact with Charles. According to the report, the deputy smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed 26 grams of marijuana packaged for sale, as well as a loaded 9mm Ruger semi-automatic handgun. According to the report, Charles was also cited for being in violation of a learner’s license and having illegal window tint. Charles was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail, where he was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of a concealed weapon.
DEC. 20 — A female juvenile was arrested last Friday on drug and trespassing charges following an incident at the Mall at Wellington Green. According to PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation was called to the mall after the juvenile was observed purchasing food in the food court. The juvenile had been trespassed from the facility in October because of a shoplifting incident. According to the report, the deputy made contact with the juvenile and, during a search, discovered a plastic marijuana pipe with marijuana residue. The juvenile was arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
DEC. 21 — A resident of Country Golf Drive called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Saturday to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 and 3:45 p.m. last Saturday, someone stole the victim’s irrigation pump. The pump was valued at approximately $650. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.
DEC. 21 — A juvenile was arrested last Saturday evening on charges of trespassing at the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to the mall after a security officer spotted the male juvenile, who was given a trespass warning last month. According to the report, the security guard approached him, and the juvenile ran through the mall before being caught. He was arrested and given a notice to appear in court.
