The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to February 26.
Community Engagement
Thursday, February 22 at 9:00 a.m., Captain Mazerall and Sergeant Bresnihan attended an ICS (Incident Command System for Initial Response) training in Concord with members of the 250th Celebration Committee of Lexington.
Thursday, February 22 at 11:00 a.m., Chief McLean met with Reverend ReeBee Girash of the Pilgrim Church and acting President of the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association.
Animal Control
Wednesday, February 21 at 7:45 a.m., a Buckman Dr. resident reported an ongoing issue with a barking dog and asked to speak with an officer. The Animal Control Officer will make contact.
Sunday, February 25 at 8:05 a.m., a Concord Ave resident called to report an injured deer on the front lawn of his residence. The deer appeared to have been struck by a motor vehicle. The deer was put down with one round, and the DPW was notified for its removal.
Sunday, February 25 at 5:50 p.m., a call came in reporting a stray dog with a collar but no tags. The dog was located in the area of Hayes Ave. The dog was transported to the kennel at 15 Westview St. The golden retriever was secured in the kennel, and a picture of the dog was posted on social media in an attempt to locate the owner. The owner saw the post and notified the police. The Adams St. resident went to the kennel and was reunited with his dog. He was advised about putting tags on the collar. He stated they normally had a tracker on the dog’s collar.
General Disturbance
Tuesday, February 20 at 4:10 p.m., an employee of Mals Auto Body reported a customer verbally harassing and not complying with the employees. The responding officer reported this was a verbal dispute over the price of a tow, and everything was calm upon arrival. After speaking with both parties, the customer stated he would come back the following day and pay the amount discussed.
Noise complaints and Town Bylaw Violations
Friday, February 23 at 2:55 a.m., a Main Campus Drive resident called to report his neighbor’s loud music. He was unable to sleep. Responding officers spoke with the neighbor who agreed to turn off the music for the remainder of the evening.
Sunday, February 25 at 10:55 p.m., a Main Campus Drive resident reported she heard gunshots outside of her residence near the office building. She was unable to specify exactly where the sound was coming from because she was not near the window to look outside. The responding officers reported speaking with the resident who was unable to provide additional information. A sergeant spoke with an individual outside walking his dog who stated he heard the noise also, and it sounded like fireworks. The responding units checked the area and could not locate anything out of the ordinary.
Monday, February 19 at 7:30 a.m., a Castle Rd. resident reported construction being done at a house on the federal holiday. The responding officer reported there was no bylaw violation at that time. The excavating company was performing routine maintenance on their equipment.
Sunday, February 25 at 8:10 a.m., a Reed St. area resident called to complain about contractors working on Sunday in violation of the town bylaw. The responding officer spoke with the company and advised them of the bylaw. They agreed to stop working for the day.
Suspicious Activity – Motor Vehicle
Sunday, February 25 at 10:35 p.m., a caller reported a white Kia had been following her since she left Wegmans in Burlington. Dispatch directed her back to the station where officers spoke with her. She reported she believed the vehicle was following her but did not recognize it and could not think of who it might have been. Units also followed the vehicle in question as a precaution, and no suspicious activity was observed. The responding officer followed the reporting party back to her residence. She was satisfied with the response and was advised not to hesitate to contact the police.
Larceny
Tuesday, February 20 at 3:30 p.m., Meriam St. residents stated they realized an engagement ring was missing. The ring was last seen in a drawer in the master bedroom about a month ago. These residents stated that the only other people who have had access to that room during this past month have been the “cleaning ladies.”
Wednesday, February 21 at 4:35 p.m., a Bertwell Rd. resident came in to report a larceny from a parent’s residence on Hathaway Rd. The reporting party stated that 400 coins were stolen from his mother’s safe in her home.
Fraud
Monday, February 19 at 2:00 p.m., an Emerson Gardens Rd. resident came in to report she had paid $148 for concert tickets, but she did not receive them.
Tuesday, February 20 at 7:05 a.m., a Chestnut Lane resident came in to report that in December 2023 he attempted to secure a $950,000 business loan, and he was approved by National Business Group – a New York-based company. To secure the loan, on 12/28 he wired $19,975 to Metropolitan Commercial Bank which was then routed to Prince Advance LLC both in New York. The funds were drawn from his personal bank account. He did not receive the loan, and on 2/6/24, he was asked to wire an additional $11,980. On 2/9, he reported contacting the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, and a private company, Payback Limited. This resident vetted Payback Limited and claimed he should get his money back from the bank. This resident was advised to contact his credit bureaus and request placement on fraud alerts / watches.
Thursday, February 22 at 11:00 a.m., a Bernard St. resident came in to report he was the victim of a cryptocurrency scam. According to this resident, he was phished* by hackers posing as Ledger Support Services. The total loss is approximately $147,000. This resident was advised to report the incident to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and to stop using his digital wallet.
*“Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending messages purporting to be from reputable companies to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.”
IDENTITY THEFT – from EQUIFAX
“Identity (ID) theft occurs when a stranger gains access to your personal information without your knowledge or consent. An ID thief may use your information to open lines of credit in your name or submit applications for things like employment, insurance coverage, or housing.
If left unchecked, identity theft could negatively impact your credit reports and credit scores or make it difficult for you to reach personal financial goals. So, it’s important to understand the different types of ID theft, how they occur, and what you can do to protect yourself and your personal information.”
“2. Tax identity theft. This type of identity theft involves ID thieves using your personal information to file a tax return and get a refund – your refund.
What you can do: Be alert for phone calls, texts and emails claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS will not contact consumers using these methods and won’t threaten legal action. Never provide any personal information in response to an unsolicited phone call, email, social media message or text message.
If your tax return is rejected because someone has filed a return in your name already, contact the IRS. You may need to file a fraud claim and receive a PIN to use on future tax returns.”
*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.