The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department
logs in the weeks leading up to December 11, 2023. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Wednesday, November 29 at 10:00 a.m., Lexington’s Community Engagement Detective presented a scam prevention PowerPoint to seniors at the Community Center. The presentation informed seniors about what to look for and what to do if they fall victim to a scam. The presentation also informed those present about scams seen recently in Lexington and surrounding communities.
Wednesday, December 6 at 2:30 p.m., Chief McLean, two detectives, and the department’s civilian social services advocate attended the announcement meeting of the new Mental Health Recovery Court at Concord District Court. The Concord Mental Health Session is a special session of the Concord District Court. It is a court-ordered condition of probation for defendants before the court who have serious mental health issues or co-occurring mental health and alcohol/substance abuse issues. It aims to reduce incarceration while also maintaining public safety. Referrals for CMHS may be made by police officers, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, treatment providers, or other interested parties.
Friday, December 8 at 10:00 a.m., Chief McLean and several other police department personnel including the Jail Diversion Program clinician participated in the Coffee with the Chief community conversation with approximately 25 attendees at the Community Center.
Arrest summary – Hit and Run and OUI
Monday, December 4 at 3:55 p.m., a 911 call came in regarding a motor vehicle collision at the corner of Mass Ave. and Parker St. A black Mazda hit another vehicle and then left the scene down Parker Street toward the LHS. The vehicle that was struck was pulled into the parking lot of the Inn at Hastings Park. The Fire Department was called in for an evaluation of that operator. Tedesco Towing arrived on the scene to handle the damaged vehicle. There were no reported injuries. Officers located the other driver in the vehicle that left the scene in the driveway at 10 Parker St. After assessing the driver’s physical and mental state, she was placed under arrest for operating a vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor, operating a vehicle negligently to endanger, leaving the scene after property damage, and failure to yield. Police transported the driver back to the police station where she was booked. At approximately 7:45 p.m., Bail Commissioner Carlos Rojas arrived and the driver was bailed out for $40 personal recognizance. She was released to her grandmother for the remainder of the evening.
Animal Control and Complaint
Thursday, November 30 at 8:40 a.m., a Constitution Rd. resident called to report a possum had gotten into her home and was hiding under her bed. The responding officer checked the bedroom, and the animal was a raccoon. The officer assisted in removing the animal from the house.
Friday, December 1 at 4:25 p.m., an Oak St resident reported loose chickens on her back porch. The chickens belonged to a nearby neighbor and were eventually returned home to the coop.
Friday, December 8 at 2:55 p.m., a Katahdin Dr. resident went to the Lexington Bedford Veterinary Hospital with a dog bite to her hand. Her dog had also been bitten in the neck. This resident stated the incident occurred in the parking lot outside of her apartment. She was walking her dog, off-leash, when she encountered another individual walking her properly leashed dog. The dogs got into a scuffle, and when this resident tried to pry the other dog’s jaw open, it latched onto her dog. This resident was evaluated by the Lexington Fire Department, refused transport to Lahey Hospital and stated she would transport herself for treatment. The Animal Control Officer was notified for follow-up.
Disturbance General/Neighbor and a Dispute
Wednesday, November 29 at 9:05 a.m., a Home Instead HR Manager called requesting assistance with removing an individual from the premises. She was at the business location for an interview regarding a new job when she began arguing. The manager told her she was not a good fit for the job and asked her to leave. She refused without ensuring her onboarding documents were shredded. Officers mediated between the two, and he agreed to shred the documents. Then, she left without further incident.
Wednesday, November 29 at 1:55 p.m., a call came in regarding a disturbance at Enterprise Rent-a-Car on Mass Ave. The responding officer reported all was calm upon his arrival. He spoke with the subject who would only give his first name and claimed that he resided in Arlington. He stated he was upset he couldn’t use cash to rent a car, and that the business only accepted credit cards. The officer explained and advised the subject who seemed to understand. He did not present as a danger to himself or others at that time. He was last seen walking westbound on Mass Ave. It was a verbal dispute only, and there were no threats reported.
Thursday, November 30 at 2:15 p.m., a call came from Enterprise Rent-a-Car reporting the return of a disgruntled customer from the day before. The subject did not gain entry to the business as the doors were locked, but the subject was looking in rental vehicles. Responding officers located the male party who refused to identify himself. Officers took a photo of him and will provide that photo to Enterprise, for trespassing purposes.
Friday, December 8 at 11:00 a.m., neighbors were having a verbal dispute regarding tree limbs hanging over a Mass Ave. residence. The responding officer spoke with a representative of Hancock Church who was having tree work done around the property. He wanted to have branches trimmed from a tree that belonged to the resident next door. Marquis Tree Company was on this neighbor’s property, so he came out and questioned what work was being done. The officer spoke with both parties involved, and they agreed it was simply a lack of communication regarding the planned trimming. The neighbor stated he had no issue with trimming trees overhanging the property of the church, but he wanted someone to communicate with him before the work was done.
Wednesday, December 6 at 4:20 p.m., a Brandon Rd. resident called to report he was involved in a road raid incident that resulted in his vehicle being damaged by another person. He stated he was traveling eastbound on Lowell Street near Woburn Street when he noticed a rider on a motorized bike driving recklessly on Lowell St. When he was at the traffic lights at Lowell St. and Winchester Dr, he yelled out his window toward the person and said, “Stop driving like an idiot.” He stated that the other party got off his green motorized bike, took his helmet off, and hit the back passenger side door with it. Without a license plate, there was no way to follow up.
Larceny
Monday, November 27 at 10:35 a.m., a Burroughs Rd. resident reported she ordered clothing online from Montcler. The package arrived damaged with a hole in it, and one of the items, a $900 sweatshirt, was missing from the order.
Wednesday, November 29 at 7:30 a.m., a Wood St. resident reported his electric scooter, valued at $700, was taken from his driveway sometime between 8:00 p.m. last night and 7:00 a.m. The responding officer located the scooter on Wildwood Rd. A detective was dispatched to process the scooter.
Suspicious Activity
Tuesday, December 5 at 6:00 p.m., a Marrett Rd. resident reported an unknown male at her front door. She asked the man to identify himself and asked what he wanted. He didn’t answer, so she decided to leave her house using the back door with her dog. She returned home approximately an hour later and requested a house check. Responding officers checked the interior of the house and all appeared in order. She was unable to provide a description and officers advised her to call the police right away in the future. Officers located the male shortly after clearing the call. This individual was going door to door promoting a nonprofit organization and was wearing a beanie and headphones, so he had difficulty hearing the resident which caused the initial concerns.
Wednesday, December 6 at 12:40 p.m., a Blueberry Lane resident called to report activity on his home surveillance footage. He stated the night before at 7:00 a motor vehicle stopped in front of his driveway. An unknown individual shined a flashlight at the motion detector attached to his home and then left. The footage captured the vehicle turning into a neighboring driveway turning around and leaving the area. A female’s voice was heard in the camera recording. This resident stated he did not find anything out of place when he returned home.
Saturday, December 9 at 10:20 p.m., a Woburn St. resident reported while walking along Woburn Street, an ice cream cone was thrown at him from a passing vehicle. He stated he believed the incident was motivated by the Hebrew letters that ran lengthwise down the right side of the sweatpants he was wearing at the time.
Fraud
Wednesday, November 29 at 3:20 PM., a Marrett Rd. resident reported she received a phone call from an individual stating the call was from Medicaid. They wanted to talk about her plan and available options. While on the phone, she provided her address, the name of her bank, and her social security number. She has since spoken with a representative from her health insurance and Medicaid, who confirmed that nothing had been changed. She was unsure whether this was a scam and wanted the incident documented.
Wednesday, November 29 at 9:50 p.m., a Winthrop Rd. resident stated she mailed a Bank of America check for $50.97 to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the mailbox in the area of Woburn St. and Lowell St. on November 3. The check was cashed on November 6 at Citizens Bank for $6843.02 by Angelina A. Colon. Bank of America has been notified and a claim has been filed.
Thursday, November 30 at 9:50 a.m., Fletcher Ave. residents reported they were victims of a home repair scheme. They were approached by two males with thick Scottish or Irish accents in early September regarding roof work on their house. They claimed to be the owners of Storm Dry Roofing and Masonry of Boston. The two used the names Simon and Anthony, and they hired several work crews to assist with the work. Over the course of three months, they conned these residents out of approximately $1.49 million. They paid by check using multiple bank accounts on multiple occasions, and all checks have been cleared by the respective banks. These residents have notified the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office regarding the incident.
Thursday, November 30 at 11:40 a.m., a call came in from Enterprise Bank reporting an unauthorized withdrawal of $500 from one of their account holders’ checking accounts on November 24. The party in question was a white female with short dark hair and glasses. According to CCTV footage, the female arrived and departed on foot in an unknown direction. The bank will reimburse the account holder. They’re also aware of an unauthorized withdrawal at the Chelmsford branch of $5,000 from the same account holder’s savings account. Chelmsford Police Department was also notified.
Friday, December 1 at 3:35 p.m., a Mass Ave. resident called to report a telephone scam. Responding officers spoke with this resident who received a phone call on her home phone from an unknown person stating her daughter was in a car collision in Boston and needed bail money. The unknown person requested $5,000 for bail. This resident went to the bank and withdrew the money then returned home. Once home, she spoke on the phone with the unknown person again and realized it was a scam. This resident confirmed her daughter was not hurt or in need of any services. She did not provide the unknown person with any money, meeting location, or personal information other than her residential address. There was no monetary loss, and this resident was advised on how to protect herself from future scams.
AARP Fraud Watch November 2023
How to protect yourself from Charity Scams:
“Check how watchdogs such as Charity Navigator, CharityWatch and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance rate an organization before you donate, and contact your state’s charity regulator to verify that the organization is registered to raise money there.
- Do your own research online. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends searching for a charity’s name or a cause you want to support (for example, “animal welfare” or “homeless kids”) with terms such as “highly rated charity,” “complaints” and “scam.”
- Pay attention to the charity’s name and web address. Scammers often mimic the names of familiar, trusted organizations to deceive donors.
- Keep a record of your donations and regularly review your credit card account to make sure you weren’t charged more than you agreed to give or unknowingly signed up for a recurring donation.
- Don’t give personal and financial information such as your Social Security number, date of birth or bank account number to anyone soliciting a donation. Scammers use that data to steal money and identities.
- Don’t click on links in unsolicited email, texts or fundraising messages on social media platforms; they can unleash malware.
November STATS:
- 105 Assist Fire Department
- 395 Total Cruiser Check (18 House, 239 Business, 23 Person, 115 General) 152 Directed Traffic
- 13 Directed PLW (Park, Lock, and Walk)
- 12 Community Engagement
- 17 Fraud
- 20 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.