The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs during the week leading up to February 5. LexObserver does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Monday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m., Chief McLean met with Erin Freeborn, director of C4RJ (Communities for Restorative Justice), to discuss new strategies for moving forward.
Tuesday, January 30 at 3:00 p.m., Chief McLean and Captain Mazerall attended the monthly Collaborative Reform Group meeting.
Thursday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m., Chief McLean attended the C4RJ legislative breakfast in Arlington.
Thursday, February 1 at 2:00 p.m., Chief McLean and Captain Mazerall met with candidate Cynthia Arens to discuss policing.
Thursday, February 1 at 2:30 p.m., Captain Barry attended the Transportation Safety Group to discuss traffic calming measures on Walnut St.
Friday, February 2 at 11:00 a.m., Captain Barry attended a Zoom meeting with Emergency Assistance Shelters (Lexington Element Hotel).
Friday, February 2 at 11:00 a.m., Chief McLean, Captain Mazerall, and Lieutenant Detective Dunbar met with members of the Muslim community group.
Arrests
Tuesday, January 30 at 9:47 a.m., while conducting a routine patrol in the area of Mass Ave. and Curve St., an officer observed a black Ford truck with tinted covers over the front plate traveling east on Mass Ave. As the vehicle passed, this officer queried the registration on the rear plate. CJIS (FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services) indicated this registration had been suspended and the registered owner, had a suspended license. At this time, a second officer arrived on scene. The driver was Mirandized, placed under arrest, handcuffed, searched, and placed in the back of the cruiser for transport back to the station where he was booked. A citation was issued for: Obscured License Plate Number, Operating a MV with a suspended registration, and Operating a MV with a suspended license. The driver was then transported to Concord District Court for arraignment.
Saturday, February 3 at 12:43 a.m., while conducting traffic enforcement in the area of Mass Ave. and Bedford St., officers’ attention was drawn to Harrington Rd. when they heard a motor vehicle revving its engine. Its exhaust made a harsh noise that would not be made by proper and safe operation. This was the only vehicle in the immediate area, and it was traveling approximately 40 mph in this 20 mph zone. It merged into Mass Ave. in an erratic manner and accelerated at an unsafe speed. The vehicle turned left onto Forest St. The officer turned left onto Clark St. where he observed the same Volkswagen traveling toward him at a high rate of speed. To avoid the vehicle, the officer had to slam on the brakes and activate his emergency lights. The approaching driver slammed on his brakes at which point the officer called in the motor vehicle stop and approached the driver’s side of the motor vehicle. From initial observations, there was a strong odor of alcohol from the driver’s breath, bloodshot, glassy eyes, and slurred speech. When asked where he was traveling, he stated, “I’m just doing a loop.” When asked where he lived, it turned out he was traveling in the opposite direction from his home. At this point, the officer gave him the option to perform the standard field sobriety tests, and he agreed to participate. The driver was unable to successfully pass the tests. His impairment was clear and measurable. He explained he had been drinking alcohol at Buffalo Wild Wings in Burlington and chose to operate his motor vehicle without regard for the safety of others. He was placed under arrest, handcuffed, and Mirandized. Officers transported him to the police station where he was booked for Operating a MV under the influence of an Intoxicating Liquor, Operating a MV Negligently to Endanger, and Improper Operation of a MV.
Burglary and Attempted Breaking and Entering
Thursday, February 1 at 8:10 p.m., a Normandy Rd. resident reported her house appeared to have been broken into. The responding officer arrived on scene and confirmed the B&E. A detective responded to process the scene. Officers reported jewelry and cash were taken from the residence. Two different sets of footprints were located in the snow, and the detective reported they appeared to be fresh prints. There was a possible entry from the unlocked kitchen window and a possible egress from the upstairs bedroom out onto the roof of the garage. Photos were taken and a list of items was documented.
Friday, February 2 at 6:55 p.m., a Doran Farm Lane resident reported she was away in Florida. She stated a neighbor called her to report two vehicles, which he did not recognize, pulled up to the garages that are shared by several units, and then pulled quickly away with their lights off. This resident also stated the garage doors were left open. The responding officer processed the scene.
Animal Control
Monday, January 29 at 1:45 p.m., an individual came into the station and stated there was a dead raccoon in the area of Farmcrest Ave. and Kendall Rd. DPW was notified for its removal.
Thursday, February 1 at 3:45 p.m., a Churchill Lane resident reported a sick coyote. Luckily, it was well enough to run off upon the responding officer’s arrival.
Thursday, February 1 at 6:10 p.m., a Sanderson Rd. resident found a loose dog while walking on Lowell St. The dog was approximately 15 lbs. with fluffy, golden hair. The responding officer brought the dog to the kennel. The dog was eventually returned to its Maple Street owner.
Saturday, February 3 at 11:40 a.m., a Minuteman Lane resident reported a sick raccoon had been wandering around the area for the past few hours. This individual reported the raccoon had moved to Battlegreen Rd. The responding officer could not contact this resident, and the raccoon was in an unsafe location to put down at the time.
Noise Complaint
Saturday, February 3 at 9:25 p.m., a Lee Ave. resident called with a noise complaint. A dog on Oxford St. would not stop barking and the resident there was not answering the reporting party’s texts. The responding officer reported all quiet upon arrival. He spoke with the resident on Oxford St. who stated she did own a dog but that it was quiet now.
Sunday, February 4 at 1:26 a.m., a Clelland Rd. resident reported a large house party at a neighboring house. Officers spoke with the individuals involved. They agreed to turn down the music for the night.
Fraud
Monday, January 29 at 2:10 p.m., a Farmcrest Ave. resident came in to report he was the victim of check fraud. He was notified by his bank that 10 forged checks had been cashed in his name in the Brooklyn, NY area. A bank teller was alerted to the fraud when a male using the name Iader Castellano attempted to cash a forged check at a Brooklyn branch. She denied the transaction and notified the NYPD. This resident’s loss was approximately $28,000, and TD Bank has reimbursed him for this loss and closed his account.
Tuesday, January 30 at 7:45 p.m., an Oxbow Rd. resident came in to report she had received a letter from the Massachusetts Unemployment Department regarding unemployment benefits. She had not applied to receive benefits. An unknown person utilized her personal information in an attempt to collect such funds. This is part of an active scam that has targeted numerous states including Massachusetts. This resident was advised to go on to the mass.gov website and fill out the fraud forms regarding this scam. The Unemployment Department of Massachusetts has a fraud department that will deal with this case.
*A similar situation occurred with a Nickerson Road resident on 2/4. The IRS notified her that an unemployment claim had been made using her personal information.
Wednesday, January 31 at 2:40 p.m., a Woodpark Circle resident reported she was defrauded while disputing a credit card charge by the Norton Software company. Her loss was approximately $700.
Thursday, February 1 at 11:50 a.m., a Tyler Rd. resident came in to report a check he mailed via a post office box was taken, washed, and cashed. He has notified Citizens Bank.
Friday, February 2 at 10:15 a.m., a Burroughs Rd. resident came in asking to speak with an officer regarding fraud. This resident stated on February 1 an unknown individual fraudulently accessed one of his company’s equity accounts at Enterprise Bank and withdrew $50,000. He contacted an online security associate of his who had installed additional security features and advised that the suspect used multiple national and international IP addresses but could no longer access this computer. Life-lock will make necessary contacts with credit reporting bureaus. Enterprise Bank will investigate internally and refund this account.
Friday, February 2 at 4:15 p.m., a Mass Ave. resident came in to report possible identity theft and fraudulent activity stemming from her Xfinity account. This resident attempted to claim a $101.29 credit owed to her from Xfinity. She was notified of this credit via mail. She used Google to find a phone number she thought was for Xfinity. She reports that she called the number and began the process of claiming her credit. The person claiming to be with Xfinity asked for her Social Security number and the temporary code that was texted to her phone. She gave the person her SSN and the texted code but began to get suspicious when the person asked for her credit card number and Bank of America Zelle information. The individual claimed that Xfinity used this information to process the refund. She provided her credit card information but not her Bank of America information. She said she felt as though something was wrong and ended the phone call. She noticed a charge on her Citibank credit card for $194.00 to Pap Mall in Hong Kong shortly thereafter. She has since disputed the charge and closed the account. She has filed a report with the FTC and needed this incident documented by the police.
From AARP Fraud Watch – December 2023
6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024
#6. Paris Olympics scams
Criminals try to find ways to exploit big events that are in the news. With the Paris games coming up this summer, Nofziger suspects that we may start seeing a revival of the fake emergency scam, which bears similarities to the grandparent scam but is slightly different. It could work something like this: A scammer hacks someone’s email account, and shortly after, all of that person’s contacts will receive the same message — something to the effect of, “Hey guys, I’m over in Paris and my wallet got stolen! Can anyone please help me out by sending gift cards or a Venmo deposit?”
To the recipients, it’s a potentially convincing ruse. “You’re thinking very quickly, well, Amy was in Paris two years ago, and she loves the Olympics, so it all makes sense,” Nofziger explains. “Yeah, I’ll send you money.”
And Olympics officials are warning ticket seekers to avoid bogus ticketing sites and scam emails purporting to be from Paris 2024 (the official website for the games) or the Olympic committee.
How to stay safe: Resist the urge to react immediately if you hear from a friend in Paris needing cash. Instead, follow the Federal Trade Commission’s advice and try another way to contact the person who supposedly is in need, such as calling them on the phone. Alternatively, reach out to a trusted source who knows the person and would be aware of whether or not they went on a trip to Paris.
If you’re intending to go to Paris and receive emails regarding tickets to the games, the official website for Paris 2024 notes, “You will never be asked for the login details for your ticketing account (ID and password)” or “banking details.” Check the sender’s email address; scammers will often change one letter or number, or use .com rather than .org, hoping recipients will mistake the fake address for the legitimate one.
January Statistics
Animal Control:18
Assist Fire Department: 130
Community Engagement: 20
Cruiser Check (house): 39
Cruiser Check (business): 228
Cruiser Check (person): 27
Cruiser Check (general): 62
Cruiser Check (total): 356
Directed Traffic: 161
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk: 6
Fraud:18
*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.