The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs during the week before May 29, 2023. This information is not independently verified by The Lexington Observer and does not reflect our reporting or opinion.
Community Relations
Monday, May 29 at 9:30 a.m., three police units assisted with the Memorial Day Parade that began when participants lined up in the driveway of the Munroe Cemetery at 9:30. Police cruisers provided an escort to each of the five stops along the parade route. These stops were: Thomas Cosgrove’s grave in the Monroe Cemetery, the Civil War/gazebo at the Monroe Cemetery, and the Korea/ Vietnam/ Police memorials in front of Cary Hall. Next, the parade stopped at the Soldier’s Monument at Buckman Tavern then the World War II Monument behind Buchman Tavern. Finally, police provided an escort to Emory Park where the parade concluded.
Animal Control
Monday, May 22 at 10:55 a.m., a Bedford Street resident submitted information using an online question form on the town website. This resident reported possible cruelty to a dog witnessed on Sunday, May 21 at approximately 11:45 a.m. at the Lexington Gallagher Tennis Courts. The dog owner’s identity is unknown. This resident sent a video along with the submission. A check of the tennis courts was done, and the animal control officer was notified for a follow-up.
Wednesday, May 24 at 8:05 a.m., a Partridge Road resident called to report she had been bitten by the neighbor’s dog. The responding officers arrived and confirmed that this resident had been bitten while the dogs were roaming the neighborhood alone and off-leash. The officer obtained evidence of up-to-date vaccines; the dogs were then quarantined in the house. They were not allowed outside unless leashed. Animal Control will follow up.
Wednesday, May 24 at 9:30 a.m., a caller reports hitting a dog off-leash while driving on Lowell Street near the Arlington Reservoir. He stopped to assist the animal. The dog owner took the dog to a vet. This driver called the station to provide his contact information in case the owner wanted to contact him regarding the incident. The animal control officer was notified.
Noise complaints
Wednesday, May 24 at 8:30 p.m., a Stedman Road resident called to request an officer’s assistance. She stated that for the past few weeks, she could hear loud noises coming from next door. The responding officer spoke with her and heard the noise that prompted the complaint. This officer spoke with the neighboring resident who assured the officer he would figure out what the noise was. The caller notified the management company and was satisfied with the results.
Friday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m., a Lexington Avenue resident called to report neighbors on Locust Street were having a loud party in their backyard. This resident had called the neighbors several times in the past and advised them of the situation. This is an ongoing issue between neighbors. Upon arrival, officers could hear children yelling at the rear of the Locust Street location. This resident explained the teenagers were outside enjoying the pool as part of the group gathering to celebrate an athletic team. The event was scheduled to end at 8:00. Police advised the complainant that 7:30 p.m. was not an unreasonable time for people to be enjoying their yards.
Sunday, May 28 at 11:25 p.m., a Bloomfield Street resident called to report a group of teenagers playing loud music while playing sports in the street. The responding officer dispersed the small group who was tossing a football around.
General Disturbance
Sunday, May 28 at 11:35 p.m., a caller reports a group of kids arguing in the lobby of Aloft on Marrett Road. Upon the arrival of the responding officer, all was calm. A verbal disagreement between two groups of soccer parents had taken place. The groups have been separated, and there is no further assistance necessary.
Suspicious Activity: Persons/Motor Vehicle
Tuesday, May 23 at 11:10 a.m., a Bryant Road resident reported a suspicious male wearing a bright-colored vest and carrying a “wand/detector” who came into his backyard yesterday at approximately 2:00 p.m. This man stated he was there to do a “safety check.” After being alerted to their presence by a family dog, a next-door neighbor stated he also saw two men wearing bright vests and hard hats who were seemingly reading meters. They were on foot and no vehicle was sighted. The Town of Lexington confirmed there were no water meter readings in that area. No RING videos were captured at either location. Both residents were encouraged to report in real-time in the future.
Wednesday, May 24 at 3:50 p.m., a Concord Avenue resident called to report there was a male on a bike riding through the neighborhood near Spring Street and stopping at every other house. This person was described as a younger male wearing a blue flannel shirt, black pants, gray beanie, and riding a black bike. Officers checked the area, and it was clear.
Thursday, May 25 at 8:45 p.m., a 911 call came in regarding a group of youths on Belfry Hill yelling loudly. The responding officer checked the area and reported the group had left before arrival.
Wednesday, May 24 at 11:40 p.m., an Earl Street resident called to report that she could see through her RING camera that there was a white motor vehicle parked in front of her house. Another resident who was at home told her the car had been around since 7:30 PM. This resident expressed concern as neither she nor her son recognized the vehicle. It was unoccupied and officers checked the exterior of the residence, and all was secure.
Thursday, May 24 at 8:00 a.m., a Webb Street resident came into the station to report suspicious activity. She reported she had seen a vehicle driving slowly around the neighborhood and pulling into driveways on multiple occasions. This resident runs near Laconia Street and East Emerson and reports seeing the gold Honda Accord during the week of May 15. She noticed the vehicle because the actions were suspicious. On Monday, May 22 she saw the vehicle repeating these suspicious actions. Then, the vehicle stopped in front of her. She felt unsafe, turned, and ran the other way. On May 24, she saw the vehicle again near Rumford and Emerson and noticed the male driver.
Upon further police investigation, the registration showed the 2002 Accord belonged to a Burlington resident. Lexington police contacted Burlington police for information. After repeated efforts to contact the car’s owner, Lexington police contacted Woburn police who had recently checked this registration, and its owner was well-known to the Woburn police who arrested him in the past for larceny offenses, receiving stolen property, and drug offenses.
Burglary
Saturday, May 27 at 10;00 p.m., a Worthen Road resident walked into the station to report that his vehicle had been parked on Park Street adjacent to the playground between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. During this time, an individual entered his vehicle and took $300 cash, his driver’s license, and four credit cards. Currently, there is no additional monetary loss from the stolen credit cards.
Fraud
Monday, May 22 at 1:45 p.m., a Baker Street resident called to report receiving debit cards in his name with unemployment funds. He had not applied for unemployment benefits. An unknown person had utilized this resident’s personal information to collect government funds. This resident has notified his employer, the Unemployment Department of Massachusetts, as well as Bank of America. There are currently no financial losses. An officer advised this resident to contact the station if there is any further information.
Tuesday, May 23 at 1:50 p.m., a Sutherland Road resident came into the station to report identity theft. When he received a Bank of America credit card statement in the mail, this resident realized an account had been opened in his name. He contacted Bank of America, and the account was canceled, and there is no monetary loss at this time.
*Facts recorded from AARP’s Fraud Watch from the May 2023 issue of the AARP Bulletin. From: AI Gives Scammers a Scary New Tool by Chris Morris
“Artificial Intelligence has opened a new door for scammers, making it easy to replicate almost anyone’s voice from a brief audio sample. That has made frauds such as the grandparent scam — built around a fake phone call supposedly from a grandchild —frighteningly effective, experts say.
If you receive a call seemingly from someone close to you asking for money, there are steps the Federal Trade Commission suggests you take to protect yourself.
1. Slow things down. These calls typically move fast. If someone you know seems to be calling you for money unexpectedly, tell them you’ll call back. Then, find the number from a trusted source.
2. Resist pressure. If the caller stresses the urgency of their need, that’s almost always a fraud signal. No legit organization demands money within hours. Don’t be goaded or guilted into sending money until you verify what’s going on.
3. Listen for red flags. If the caller says it’s important to keep things secret, that’s a strong indicator you’re being scammed.
The bad news: more sophisticated scams are ahead. The next round of robocalls will be made from scripts created by AI chatbots, converted to a person’s voice.”
**Experts warn: “Technology could also be used to create video calls with the grandkid’s face.”
The Lexington Police Department updates its call log on Monday mornings. LexObserver coverage is a sampling of incidents and is not an exhaustive list. The full logs are available for public viewing.