The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to February 12. This information is not independently verified by LexObserver.
Community Engagement
Tuesday, February 6 at 10:45 a.m., a detective met with a co-director of the Goddard School regarding their pick-up line at the end of the school day. Parents lining up on both sides of Concord Ave. had caused a traffic flow issue and prompted several complaints. Parents are to line up on the eastbound side of Concord Ave. (coming from Waltham St.) from this point forward. At the end of the month, this detective will assess the effectiveness of this solution.
Tuesday, February 6 at 11 a.m., Captain Barry and Dispatch Supervisor Herrera attended a radio communications meeting in planning for a future Active Shooter Hostile Event drill that will take place in May.
Thursday, February 8 at 8:00 a.m., Chief McLean and Captains Mazerall and Barry met with members of Lexington Residents Reimagining Policing.
Thursday, February 8 at 8:30 a.m., Captain Barry attended the monthly Center Committee meeting as a liaison to the group.
Thursday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m., Chief McLean, Captains Mazerall and Barry along with Sergeant Bresnihan attended the 250th planning meeting in Lincoln with other involved communities.
Friday, February 9 at 9:00 a.m., Chief McLean, Captains Mazerall and Barry along with Sergeant Bresnihan attended the 250th public relations team meeting with JGPR firm.
Friday, February 9 at 11:00 a.m., Captain Barry attended a weekly virtual meeting for the Emergency Assistance Shelter Group.
Arrests
Thursday, February 8 at 11:10 a.m., a Sudbury, MA resident was arrested on 2 outside warrants from Framingham District Court. The responding officer transported this individual to the police station. Another officer waited for Mals for a tow. Both vehicle and passengers were taken to Mals.
Saturday, February 10 at 12:30 p.m., while conducting stationary traffic enforcement at Woburn St. and Vine Street, an officer observed a white BMW with an expired inspection sticker. When asked why he did not have an up-to-date inspection, the driver replied he had just returned from traveling. After running the vehicle and operator status through CJ IS, the officer discovered that this driver had a suspended license for failure to pay fines and costs. He advised this driver that he would not be able to operate his vehicle until his license status returned to active. The officer issued a Massachusetts uniform citation for the following offenses: operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and inspection sticker violation. After handing the citation to the driver, this officer advised him he had four business days to complete the citation by signing and returning it to the clerk magistrate of the Concord District Court. He was advised he would receive a notice in the mail for a hearing with the clerk magistrate. This driver stated he understood everything that had been explained to him. Mals towed the vehicle to his residence in Medford without incident.
Sunday, February 11 at 10:35 p.m., while driving on Spring Street near Shade St., an officer observed a gray, Honda Civic’s taillights turned off and the vehicle swerving over the double yellow line. The officer activated emergency blue lights and initiated a motor vehicle stop. When approached, the operator identified himself. When asked for his license and registration, he stated he was Brazilian and did not understand English. By using Google Translate, this officer was able to communicate — the driver provided a Brazilian driver’s license, Brazilian passport, and a copy of the vehicle’s registration. When asked why he crossed over the double yellow line, he stated he was looking at his phone. During this interaction, he slurred his words, and the officer observed bloodshot, glassy eyes, and smelled alcohol. When asked if he had anything to drink, the driver said he hadn’t. When asked a second time, he recanted and stated that he had three beers before he started driving. The officer radioed for assistance. After another officer arrived, the driver was asked to step out and walk to the rear of his vehicle. The officer conducted a field sobriety test. Note: the officer attempted to locate a Portuguese-speaking officer from a surrounding community, but none was available. Due to the difficulty in communication, the portable breath test was utilized to determine this individual’s BAC roadside. Based on the results, the driver was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. Before placing him in the cruiser, he was searched, and before leaving the scene, the driver stated his phone and money were left in his vehicle and wanted to take them. Per request, an iPhone and $21 were located along with an empty Heineken bottle in plain view. He was transported to the station without incident. During the booking process, an interpreter with Language Line Solutions was utilized to communicate with the driver. After hearing his statutory rights, he agreed to provide a breath sample to be tested. After observing him for 15 minutes, the officer administered the test. Based on the results, he was issued a Massachusetts uniform citation for the following offenses: operating under the influence of alcohol, a marked lanes violation, and an equipment violation. He was released under $40 bail by assistant clerk magistrate Carlos Rojas.
Animal Control
Tuesday, February 6 at 11:15 p.m., a caller reported a dead raccoon in the area of Lawrence Lane.
Wednesday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m., a caller reported a possum that appeared injured after being struck by a car. The responding officer located the dead possum on Sage Rd.
*Whenever a dead animal is reported and located, DPW is notified for its removal. Remember to continue to share the road with our furry friends.
Sunday, February 11 at 1:00 p.m., a Wilson’s Farm employee reported a dog in distress that was tied to a signpost on Pleasant Street near the store. The responding officer checked the area. Luckily, no tethered animal was located.
Sunday, February 11 at 3:50 p.m., an individual came into the police station with a lost dog she had found on Pelham Road. The dog’s name was Blackjack, and there were two telephone numbers on the collar. Both numbers were called and the owner soon called back. The Pelham Road resident picked up her dog at 4:45 p.m.
Sunday, February 11 at 7:45 p.m., a dog was found loose near Cedar and Homestead Streets. A lab/poodle mix appeared to have gone into the yard of 153 Cedar St. and inside the house. A message was left for the owner. The responding officer reported someone was home but would not answer the door. A neighbor reported that the resident usually won’t answer her doorbell, and the dog does belong there. The Animal Control Officer was notified for follow-up.
Fraud and Larceny
Monday, February 5 at 11:50 a.m., a Taft Ave. resident came in to report someone had used her name, birth date, Social Security number, and e-mail account to open a MoneyGram account. She received an e-mail from MoneyGram welcoming her and a thank you for joining MoneyGram Plus Rewards. She stated she did not apply for MoneyGram. At this time there is no monetary loss, but she wanted the police to be aware of the situation. This resident called MoneyGram and advised them of the situation, and MoneyGram closed the account. She was also advised to monitor her credit reports.
Wednesday, February 7 at 2:40 p.m., a Hammond Place resident came in to report she was the victim of fraud. She dropped an envelope containing a check in the USPS mailbox outside of the Lexington Post Office on Saturday, January 27 at approximately 6:00 p.m. Someone altered the check and attempted to cash it for $17,550.24. There has been no monetary loss.
Saturday, February 10 at 6:40 p.m., two Moon Hill Rd. residents reported a check of theirs was taken from the USPS mailbox located in front of Cary Hall. The Bank of America check was washed and altered to $4,260.16.
Saturday, February 10 at 2:40 p.m., an individual reported his iPhone 14 had been stolen from the Center Field at approximately 2:00 p.m. He stated he left his iPhone near the benches by the tennis courts, and after running, noticed the iPhone was not there. The last known location of the iPhone was 33 Forest St. The responding officer checked the building and area with negative findings. The individual was advised to contact Lexington Police if the location of the phone was updated.
From AARP Fraud Watch
Beware: Criminals Sell Counterfeit Postage Stamps Online
By: Katherine Skiba
Under the new rule, postal officials may destroy mail shipped with fakes.
“A Forever stamp now costs 68 cents, a price that may tempt some bargain hunters to look for discounted stamps online. Unfortunately, that’s a good way to end up with counterfeit U.S. postage. A growing crime involves fake U.S. stamps printed overseas and smuggled into this country for sale online. The fraudulent activity hits the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) with multimillion-dollar revenue losses and leaves unwitting buyers stuck with worthless fake postage.
Increase in fakes!
The counterfeiting of U.S. Forever stamps — which can be used to mail a one-ounce letter “forever,” even if prices rise — grew exponentially in 2021, says Jay Bigalke, editor in chief of Linn’s Stamp News in Ohio. U.S. flag stamps are most often counterfeited, according to Bigalke, as are many commemoratives. In 2023 he published a catalog of about 750 different Forever counterfeits, most from the last 10 years. Since then, he’s identified at least 200 more. “It’s hard to keep up,” he says.”
*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.