Police Blotter: Tip — don’t leave your wallet in an unlocked car, even in Lexington.

The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to August 1, 2023. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information and does not reflect our reporting or opinion.

Community Relations 

Friday, July 28 at 10:05 a.m., in an effort to share and promote the concept of “Community Policing,” an officer visited The First Circle Learning Center on Maple Street. Children had the opportunity to meet and spend time with a police officer in a safe, friendly environment.

Police Information

Friday, July 28 at 2:00 p.m., a Wheeler Road resident called to report that 1 Whipple Road was vacant, partially destroyed, and a potential hazard. The fact that this location was frequented by youths during the evening hours caused concern. This resident was encouraged to call when she heard or saw them.

Simple Assault and Assault and Battery

Thursday, July 27 at 6:40 p.m., a Plainfield Street resident came into the station to report a past assault that occurred between her and her tenant earlier in the afternoon. There is extensive history between these two parties. This resident reports that during a confrontation over the hot water running, her tenant kicked her foot. This resident had minor injuries to the inside of her left foot but was unable to explain many specifics regarding the nature of her injury. She denied needing any medical attention. The responding officer advised this resident to file her assault charges at the Concord District Court.

Sunday, July 31 at 10 20 a.m., a Boston resident reported being involved in a road rage incident with a Lunenburg resident in a parking lot at 80 Hayden Ave. The reporting party explained when he got out of his vehicle the subject from the other vehicle started to punch him. The subject then got back into his motor vehicle and left in an unknown direction. The responding officer spoke with the reporting party who explained the incident and denied medical attention. The officer identified the other involved party, and this individual also explained his version of the incident – differing from the first. Both denied medical attention, and both were advised regarding pressing charges at Concord District Court. 

Larceny

Sunday, July 30 at 7:50 p.m., a Burlington resident came to the station to report a larceny from his motor vehicle at the town pool lot located at 80 Worthen Road during the time from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. He stated that his vehicle was unlocked, and his wallet was in the center console. When he got home, he realized five cards were missing along with $500 in cash. 

American Express notified this individual at 6:10 p.m. stating there were possible fraudulent charges at the Apple Store in Chestnut Hill. He contacted Bank of America and American Express. He was missing two Bank of America debit cards and one credit card. In addition, he was missing his American Express and Home Depot credit cards. These cards were used at Bloomingdale’s in Chestnut Hill, the Apple Store in Chestnut Hill along with online purchases from Apple and Total Wine and More in Natick. 

He was able to contact his banks in time to report the transactions as fraudulent. He does not have specific times for each transaction but will call the banks for that information. The responding officer went to the town pool to obtain video footage of the incident; unfortunately, the parking lot does not have cameras. Hayden Ice Rink does have cameras, but it was closed at the time. 

Charges among all cards totaled $16,205.60. Each has been flagged as fraudulent by the banks. In addition, approximately $500 cash was taken from the wallet. 

Animal Control

Tuesday, July 25 at 8:05 a.m., a North Billerica resident from Lincoln Properties found a trapped raccoon inside a small dumpster. He flipped the dumpster over, but the raccoon did not want to leave. This individual stated the dumpster would be picked up that day, and the raccoon would be crushed if it didn’t leave the dumpster. The responding officer brought a snare for the rescue, but the raccoon had already smartened up and decided it was time to move along.

Friday, July 28 at 1:10 p.m., a call came reporting a dog trapped underneath a vehicle near the Harrington School at 328 Lowell Street. Responding officers confirmed the dog was unharmed, and they managed to successfully retrieve the dog from underneath the car.

Suspicious activity, Disturbance

Tuesday, July 25 at 2:10 p.m., an individual called from the Town Pool Complex on Worthen Road to report a male in his 60s wearing a tan hat and a Navy-blue windbreaker taking pictures of children by the pool. The responding officer reports speaking with this caller, who stated originally that he knew one of the children at the pool, but when the child he said he knew didn’t know the man, the man walked quickly away from the area. The responding officer checked Hayden Avenue and that man could not be located.

Sunday, July 30 at 6:20 a.m., three individuals called from Countryside Village to report a disturbance involving a male with a knife. The call ended with no additional information. A second caller reported a Waltham male assaulted him with a bottle and left on a bike heading toward Waltham. The responding officer reports speaking to both parties involved who stated a fight occurred, but they had conflicting versions of the event. The responding officer determined there was no knife involved. Both were advised of their rights, and neither wanted to press charges. They left the area without any further concerns.

Sunday, July 30 at 6:20 p.m., a Pleasant Street resident called to report getting threatening messages from a man she met through a friend. She stated she does not know where he is, but he demanded she bring certain items to China, or she would “pay the consequences.” This resident has not heard from this party in a few years. The responding officer reports this individual received a message from someone named Yue. Yue asked her for $60,000 or something bad might happen. She said that Yue lives in China and Yue’s boyfriend sometimes helps with small tasks around the residence. She had not heard from him in months, and she believed this individual lived in Andover. She explained that she thinks Yue is asking for money because she thinks the others are romantically involved — which they are not. She was advised regarding how to proceed moving forward and to contact the LPD if she received any suspicious messages or calls from either party. 

Fraud

Thursday, July 27 at 4:30 p.m., a Nichols Road resident came into the station to report that a check for $500 he had sent out on Friday, June 30 appears to have been intercepted, altered, and cashed by an unauthorized party for $5,000. This resident used the USPS mailbox in front of the Mobil gas station located at 277 Bedford Street. 

Suggestion: Do not use a USPS mailbox after the last pickup of the day.                                                  Reminder: The outer lobby at the Lexington Post Office is open 24 hours.

July’s police activity/calls:

Animal Control: 21

Assist Fire Department:130 

*Total Cruiser Checks: 405

(Business: 234, General: 117, House: 14, Person:40)

Directed Traffic:  192

Directed PLW: 33

Community Relations: 6

Fraud (reported): 21

*Facts recorded from AARP’s Fraud Watch from June 2023 

*Reminder: If you have not yet done it, consider doing a “Wallet Audit.”

“Before your wallet is lost or stolen, consider the following: the modern wallet should be slim, light, and modestly populated. Many of the informational items we once carried can be accessed on our phones. If stolen, an overstuffed wallet can provide crooks with information and tools that may lead to the theft that spreads far beyond the cash the wallet contained. Here are some steps to consider mitigating that risk.”

Continued from last week… 

THIRD: “Only carry your Medicare card when you are headed to an appointment that might require it. In the wrong hands, your Medicare number may be used for a variety of scams, including filing for false claims and reimbursement. Also, in particular, remove your Social Security card. You do not need it for daily use, and criminals can use it to open lines of credit in your name or sell it to another criminal for use.”

The Lexington Police Department updates its call log on Monday mornings. LexObserver coverage is a sampling of incidents and is not an exhaustive list. Logs are available for public viewing. https://www.lexingtonma.gov/489/Weekly-Police-Logs#anchor_log