WESTFIELD
Major crime and incident report
Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016
10:29 a.m.: Fraud, walk-in. Police received a walk-in complaint regarding a vehicle that the person attempted to purchase on eBay. According to police, the person was instructed to get $1,500 worth of iTunes gift cards and send a picture of them to the supposed owner of the vehicle, and this would be the currency used for the purchase. However, once the pictures of the gift cards were sent, the supposed owner “disappeared from existence,” although the iTunes cards were emptied of all the money on them. The incident is currently under investigation.
1:21 p.m.: Motor vehicle violation and arrest, Springfield Road. Police were in the area of Wal-Mart on Springfield Road when they saw a person allegedly texting while driving. After pulling the operator, Crystalina M. Bowman, 33, of West Springfield, over and processing her information, they found that she had two warrants out for her arrest. Police arrested Bowman due to those warrants.
8:56 p.m.: Motor vehicle violation and arrest, Hundred Acres Road. Police reported that a vehicle drove past them going 72 MPH in a 40 MPH zone. The vehicle, operated by Nicholaas C. Van Gelder, 22, of Granville, allegedly took off from police after they attempted to pull him over. The vehicle went through a back road through some tobacco fields and attempted to evade police by reportedly turning off his lights. After a brief chase, police were able to apprehend Van Gelder, and charged him with operating under the influence of liquor, failing to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding and a motor vehicle lights violation. Story was originally reported in The Westfield News on Aug. 25..
10:10 p.m.: Motor vehicle violation and arrest, Springfield Road. Police reported that a vehicle, operated by Zachariah David Irwin, 25, of Westfield, was traveling 54 MPH in a 40 MPH zone. Upon stopping the vehicle, police found that Irwin was also operating the motor vehicle with a suspended license. Police arrested Irwin and charged him with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license–subsequent offense, and speeding.
