The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs during the week leading up to October 1, 2023. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information and does not reflect our reporting or opinion.
Arrest
Friday, September 29 at 4:45 p.m., a Keeler Farm Way resident called 911 “reporting that her son had shot her and a friend… Police officers arrived on scene and were able to take the suspect, 22-year-old Brent Justice Roman-Finnigan, into custody without incident…” Read the full press release from Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office.
Community Relations
Tuesday, September 26 at 9:20 a.m., detectives participated in the Lexington Senior Wellness fair held at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum. Both detectives spoke with seniors about local scams occurring in Lexington and surrounding communities. They provided up-to-date information designed to help residents avoid becoming victims of scams. Also, they shared details about Lexington’s voluntary Safe Watch program which helps safeguard people in our community who suffer from a condition that might cause them to wander.
Larceny
Monday, September 25 at 1:55 p.m., a call came in from Citizens Bank regarding a past larceny of laptops and other equipment.
Wednesday, September 27 at 5:15 p.m., a Hancock St. resident called to report her son’s bicycle was stolen from Diamond Middle School. She explained he arrived at 7:30 and placed his bicycle in the rack located in front of Diamond. At approximately 4:30, after cross-country practice, he went to retrieve his bicycle and it was missing. The bicycle is a blue and black “specialized 21 hot rock 24/8 speed.” The serial number on the bicycle valued at $ 500 is WSBC71105680 8P.
Wednesday, September 27 at 7:20 p.m., a Wilson Rd. resident reported items were stolen from his backpack which was in the boy’s locker room at Lexington High School sometime between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m.
Friday, September 29 at 2:30 p.m., a Tricorne Rd. resident called to report he had ordered two iPhone 15s online from Verizon each worth $16128.74. UPS arrived at his residence at approximately 1:45 p.m. and delivered a sealed package in hand. He opened the package, and the contents were missing. He refused to accept the package and handed it back to the delivery driver. The officer advised him to contact both Verizon and UPS.
Sunday, October 1 at 7:30 p.m., a Mass Ave. resident called to report a man ran up to her and stole her sweatshirt before leaving on his blue bike. This person was approximately 18 to 20 years old wearing a Hawaiian shirt and jeans. A second caller from Mass Ave. reported he had talked with an individual who told him the police were looking for him. Officers searched the area and spoke with the caller. There was no sign of the individual, and officers picked up the blue bike that had been left behind.
Animal Control
Tuesday, September 26 at 3:00 p.m., a Jean Rd. resident called to report a neighbor’s dog had been barking for hours. He was not sure of the exact address on Mass Ave. When responding officers checked, the area was quiet.
Thursday, September 28 at 11:00 a.m., a Compton Circle resident called to report a group of raccoons in his backyard. When the caller was asked if they were sick or injured, he was afraid to try to confirm the issue. Responding officers checked the area but were unable to locate any raccoons.
Friday, September 29 at 10:35 p.m., a call came in from the area of Baker Ave. and Tucker Ave. reporting a coyote walking around injured and had apparently stepped on a trap. Responding officers checked the area and did not locate the coyote.
Monday, September 30 at 12:19 p.m., a Hibbert St. resident reported a loose fox. Both Lexington and Arlington Police Departments assisted with this animal complaint. The environmental police responded and removed the fox.
Dispute – General Argument
Sunday, October 1 at 3:40 p.m., Bennington Road residents walked into the station to report an ongoing trespassing issue on their property. They stated that youths and neighbors were cutting through their driveway and yard frequently, despite being told not to. The couple reports that their property connects the end of Pelham Road to the end of Bennington Road and that it is used frequently by walkers, bicyclists, and even motor vehicles to cut through. These residents report they have put up signage and gates and have talked with numerous people regarding their private property. They are concerned because they have young children and do not want them injured by unexpected vehicles or bicycles or people cutting through. They specifically mentioned having ongoing issues with residents of Elliot Road. They report that these residents have been asked repeatedly not to cut through their property but continue to do so. One resident informed them that she had been “doing this for 50 years.” The responding officer advised the residents of their homeowner rights and talked to them about ways to keep unwanted guests from cutting across their property. They agreed they would try utilizing some of the officer’s suggestions regarding adding more signage and more fencing to see if this mitigates the issue between neighbors.
Suspicious activity – Persons
Thursday, September 28 at 10:35 a.m., a Preston Rd. resident called regarding two individuals trying to break into a vehicle parked on the street. This resident could see two people using a metal rod trying to enter the vehicle. The responding officer contacted these two individuals who said they were family members of the operator of the vehicle. They explained that the owner was a teacher in Belmont and had locked her keys and backpack in her vehicle this morning. She asked them to gain access inside the vehicle to retrieve these items. The responding officer confirmed this information with the owner of the vehicle.
Saturday, September 30 at 6:05 a.m., a resident in the Muzzy St. /Mass Ave. area called to report a man opening parking meters and possibly taking money. He was described as a 50-year-old wearing a baseball cap. The responding officer contacted the individual in question at Depot Square. He was collecting cans for the Jimmy Fund and decided to see if there were any coins left in the meters. No damage was done to the meters and no crime was committed.
Fraud
Friday, September 25 at 9:15 a.m., an employee from Five Forks Sunoco on Lincoln St. called regarding a scam. The responding officer reports an employee was directed to take money from the store, buy Bitcoin, and transfer it to several crypto wallets for payment of a delivery. The store suffered a loss of $5,014.00. The business requested a detective referral.
Friday, September 25 at 9:20 a.m., a Burlington St. resident came into the station to report he was the victim of a cryptocurrency scheme. He explained he had been contacted by a woman named Linda who resides in Miami, Florida regarding investment opportunities. This resident agreed to invest a large sum of money in Latoken Exchange to which he wired approximately $1 million during these past few months beginning in July 2023.
Saturday, September 26 at 11:10 a.m., a Fifer Lane resident came into the station to report that he had received an email from the Massachusetts Unemployment Department in regard to an unemployment claim. He had not applied for unemployment benefits, but an unknown person had utilized his personal information in an attempt to collect such funds. The Unemployment Department of Massachusetts is well aware of this ongoing scam. Their fraud department deals with this type of case.
Sunday, September 27 at 4:10 a.m., a Main Campus Dr. resident called to report that over the last two days, he had been scammed out of $12,300 via computer fraud.
Sunday, September 27 at 5:40 p.m., a Locust Ave. resident called to report that an individual claiming to be from Customs and Border Protection called and instructed him to go to his bank and withdraw the most cash allowed and deposit it into an ATM. This resident refused to do so and notified Cambridge Savings Bank who froze his account. There was no monetary loss.
**From ARP’s Fraud Watch – AARP Bulletin September 2023 – Get Back What’s Yours – “Recovering what you lost to scammers is a long shot. But that’s starting to change,” according to Sari Harrar.
“Getting money back from criminals is rare. But new efforts by law enforcement officials, banks, payment apps, and gift card companies are clawing back some funds lost in a wide variety of scams… all of this makes reporting fraud – something that nearly half of those targeted fail to do – more important than ever. The best thing you can do for yourself, and future victims is to report as soon as possible… Your information could launch or further an investigation, trigger warnings to protect others, or even help you recover money.”
Next week: Peer-to-Peer Apps – Zelle, Venmo, and CashApp
September Stats:
106 Assist Fire Department
376 Total Cruiser Check (14 House, 266 Business, 35 Person, 61 General)
166 Directed Traffic
7 PLW (Park, Lock, and Walk)
3 Community Relations
21 Fraud
22 Animal Control
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.