The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs during the week leading up to June 19, 2023. This information is not independently verified by The Lexington Observer and does not reflect our reporting or opinion.
Community Relations
Tuesday, June 13 at 8:30 a.m., Mass Ave residents won a ride to school in a police cruiser for their children at a Harrington school PTO fundraiser event. Officers accompanied the children to Fiske and Harrington.
Friday, June 16 at 8:30 a.m., Preston Road residents won a ride to school in a police cruiser for their children at an Estabrook PTO fundraiser event. Officers accompanied the children to Estabrook.
Town Bylaws – Leaf Blowers
Throughout the last 7 days, there have been multiple complaints regarding the use of gas-powered leaf blowers that are allowed only for spring cleanup (March 15—May 31) and fall cleanup (after September 15—December 31). Continued violation of this Lexington Noise Bylaw may result in fines for landscape companies and residents.
Animal Control/Complaint
Thursday, June 15 at 11:35 a.m., Mass Wildlife called to report a fox on Spring Street caught in a net hanging upside down for three hours. Mass Wildlife and Environmental Police were unable to respond. Two Lexington officers responded and removed the fox from the net. The fox was safely released back into the wild.
Thursday, June 15 at 8:30 p.m., an Ivan Street resident called to report seeing a bear in the backyard of 42 Ivan Street. The responding officer located the bear in a roadside tree in this residential neighborhood. Police notified the Environmental Police regarding the incident. The Environmental Police reported if the bear is not a threat or causing any issues, they would not be responding. Lexington officers report that the bear is not a problem and left it alone.
Friday, June 16 at 11:30 a.m., a North Emerson Road resident reported an alligator or a Python in her backyard. The responding officer checked the exterior of the house thoroughly and found only a hose left out in the backyard.
Suspicious Activity – Persons
Monday, June 12 at 4:20 p.m., a caller outside Stop and Shop on Bedford Street reported a male in his 30s yelling at elderly women to mind their own business. The responding officer reports this man was on the phone speaking in Italian to a relative and was not making remarks to anyone else.
Wednesday, June 14 at 3:00 p.m., a 911 call came in regarding what sounded like a gunshot around Welch Road. The responding officer checked the area, and the surrounding area was quiet.
Monday, June 19 at 1:55 p.m., Childs Road residents hired a civil engineering and surveying company. The surveyor wore an orange safety vest and surveyed the property. His vehicle was labeled with the company name and other identifying information. This surveyor stated he had set off an alarm in the yard, as the residents may not have known the survey had been scheduled that day. All information was confirmed with the company.
Larceny
Thursday, June 15 at 11:30 a.m., a Ledgelawn Avenue resident reported a series of checks she had mailed had fraudulently been cashed. The total amount taken is approximately $36,200. This resident was advised to contact her bank and send copies of checks to the investigating officer for follow-up.
Friday, June 16 at 8:00 a.m., a Chase Plumbing supervisor stated one of his workers noticed that a box of brass plumbing fixtures, worth approximately $300, was missing from a job site. He stated the fixtures were last seen the day before. He also stated the property was secured at night, and there was no sign of forced entry. On-site surveillance cameras did not show evidence of breaking and entering. This supervisor contacted the homeowner and contractor who stated he would contact the other companies working on the property to find out if anyone had moved the box. The officer spoke with all involved and stated there would be a follow-up with a supervisor. All were advised to contact the police if any further information became available.
Sunday, June 18 at 11:30 a.m., a Lincoln Street resident called to report the theft of her bicycle from her garage on June 17 between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. The garage was unsecured, and there were no cameras in the area. The bicycle is a deep purple, 7-speed women’s style Trek with a brown leather seat with white flowers. The responding officer canvassed the area but did not locate the bicycle.
Fraud
Tuesday, June 13 at 6:35 p.m., two Clark Street residents came into the station to report they had mailed three checks on June 5 at the USPS box at 16 Clark Street. Two of the three checks have been forged and altered. These residents lost $6,500 and stated they contacted Citizens Bank regarding these checks.
Tuesday, June 13 at 7:35 p.m., a Lexington Ridge Drive resident came into the station and stated he was in the process of being approved to buy a house and was alerted by Experian that he had an outstanding balance on an account from 2018. The loan was created on 10/10/18 through Acini Digital for $1,257. The Credit Bureau advised this resident to document the incident with the police. There is no monetary loss, and he is not expected to pay back this loan. He was advised to continue monitoring his credit reports and to contact the police if any additional information became available.
Wednesday, June 14 at 9:10 a.m., a Meriam Street resident reported an unknown subject fraudulently withdrew $3,500 from his Citizens Bank checking account. The check was mailed on June 5 at the Adams Building USPS mailbox.
Thursday, June 15 at 10:30 a.m., a Raymond Street resident called to report finding fraudulent charges on her Citibank business account statements dating back to November 2022. She provided her credit card information to OMG National for a search engine optimization trial, and they continue to charge her account. She has notified Citibank which has opened an investigation. At this point, this resident has lost approximately $2,076.
Friday, June 16 at 12:20 p.m., a Blake Road resident stated that 40,000-mile points had been stolen on May 30. American Airlines notified her of a recent, suspicious purchase using her miles and asked her to verify that use. American Airlines stated someone had purchased two tickets using these points and was unable to provide any further information at this time. American Airlines will be filing its own investigation, opening a new account for this resident, and reimbursing these points.
Saturday, June 17 at 12:05 p.m., a Grove Street resident came into the station with her elderly father to report he had mailed a check to the Town of Lexington for $225.44 at an unknown mailbox on May 22. The check was intercepted, washed, and the handwriting on the original check was altered. There was an attempt to cash it for $18,704.32 at an unknown location. Cambridge Savings Bank notified this resident regarding this attempted fraud. There is no monetary loss.
Monday, June 19 at 11:40 a.m., a Peacock Farm Road resident reported she had been the victim of fraud. A person unknown to her opened a credit card in her name in March 2023 and charged $9,433.94. She contacted the credit card company, and the account has been closed.
*Facts recorded from AARP’s Your 2023 Fraud Survival Guide, April 2023 issue of the AARP Bulletin.
“Fake Barcodes on Gift Cards: That gift card tucked into a birthday card or thank you note could be worth $0.00 if scammers siphoned off the value first. The Con: Law enforcement agencies warn that nimble-fingered crooks affix fake barcode stickers over the real ones on the back of the gift card in stores. When you purchase the card, the cashier scans the fake bar code at checkout – directing your money into the scammer’s gift card account. Protect Yourself: with some gift cards, you can make sure the number of the bar code matches the number on the packaging. Or feel or gently scratch the bar code on a gift card before buying it. Don’t purchase if the barcode is on a sticker or if the package is ripped, wrinkled, bent, or looks tampered with, the Better Business Bureau recommends.”
The Lexington Police Department updates its incident log on Monday mornings. LexObserver coverage is a sampling of significant incidents and is not an exhaustive list. The full logs are available for public viewing.