The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to March 4, 2024. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Monday, February 26 at 10 a.m., Captains Mazerall and Barry, Lieutenant Detective Dunbar, and Lieutenant Veno attended command staff orientation for NEMLEC (Northeastern Law Enforcement Council) to learn about available resources, proper call-out procedures, and about the LEC in general.
Tuesday, February 27 at 1:00 p.m., Detective Ducharme and the police department’s social services clinician attended the monthly meeting with the Central Middlesex Assessment for Safety Team. CMAST is a high-risk team facilitated by domestic violence advocates to identify victims at the “greatest risk of lethality” and to monitor offenders who pose a threat to them. Cases were reviewed and new referrals were presented.
Friday, March 1 at 11:00 a.m., Captain Barry attended the weekly Zoom meeting of the Emergency Assistance Shelters in Lexington.
Park, Lock, and Walk — Schools
Tuesday, February 27 at 9:35 a.m., an officer conducted a PLW at William Diamond Middle School. This officer reported he checked in with the front desk and walked around the school to familiarize himself with the layout. The officer checked in on a gym class and spoke to teachers in the hallway during this walkthrough.
In addition to multiple, daily scheduled visits to schools in Lexington, Lexington Children’s Place, the Lexington Public Schools district-wide preschool program for children with and without disabilities has been added to scheduled, routine PLW for schools.
Arrest
Friday, March 1 at 3:50 p.m., in the area of Harding and Simons Rds. an officer observed a white van whose driver was operating a cell phone in his right hand with his attention directly on the phone. Upon seeing this infraction, the officer initiated a motor vehicle stop and approached the driver’s window. The operator stated his phone was charging on a wireless charger and he picked it up to use his GPS. A CJIS query revealed that this driver’s license had been expired/nonrenewable since June 2022 for unpaid excise tax. CJIS also revealed that the driver had a straight warrant* from Waltham District Court for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and use of an electronic device while operating a motor vehicle. The officer confirmed the warrant with dispatch and another officer was sent to assist at the scene. The driver was placed under arrest and placed in the back of the cruiser to be transported to the police station for booking. Bail Commissioner Rojas placed $45 bail on personal recognizance. Officers conducted a motor vehicle inventory and waited for Mals towing to take the vehicle to their garage.
* “Straight warrants are issued by the court at the request of police or prosecutors. The request must be accompanied by evidence showing probable cause that the criminal suspect did, in fact, break the law.”
Animal Control
Thursday, February 29 at 7:45 p.m., an officer came across a cat that had been struck by a vehicle on Hill St. The owner arrived on scene and took the cat.
*In general, this has been a good month for our creatures in town. No dead wild animals were reported this week, so thank you for sharing the road.
Noise Complaints
Friday, March 1 at 9:50 p.m., a Lexington Ave. resident reported Locust Ave. neighbors were loud in their backyard. The responding officer reported there was no noise coming from the property upon arrival. When he spoke with the reporting party, he stated that the noise had stopped, and they had gone inside before the police arrived. The reporting neighbors said they believed the residents were listening to police scanners because, as in past incidents, just before police arrived the noise stopped. The officer went to the back of the reporting party’s residence and observed all the lights in the backyard on Locust were on. The officer then spoke with the residents and stated that a complaint had been made about the noise. There were a couple of cars in front of the house. The resident stated his son was out back in the hot tub with a few friends.
Saturday, March 2 at 10:55 p.m., the pastor of the Christ Revolution Church on Lowell St. reported vehicles parked in his lot. He had asked them to move on, but one didn’t. The responding officer reported that nearby on Lowell St. an event was taking place, and the owners were advised not to park in this lot.
Sunday, March 3 at 1:30 a.m., a neighbor reported excessive noise from an ongoing birthday party on Lowell St. Residents were advised to keep the noise down.
Sunday, March 3 at 6:35 a.m., a call came in reporting ongoing noise on Grove St. and that residents had partied all night and were still making noise. The responding officer checked the area and did not locate any concerning noise in the area.
Larceny
Tuesday, February 27 at 6:40 p.m., a Woburn St. resident reported he was missing medicine and bandages from his residence. They were kept in a locked box that only he had access to. He reported no forced entry and stated he believed it was possible that “children who came to his house to trick or treat could have been the ones who took his property.” He stated they did not enter the house and that it could be “the animals that live in the attic.” The responding officer reported this individual lives alone but is well kept and there is no cause for concern at this time. The officer contacted this resident’s son who checked on him regularly. He reported his father had been given medication that was causing some “mental fog.” The son stated he would be taking his father to the doctor to figure this out. The responding officer stated she would be contacting the department’s clinician and that if they needed any services in the future, they should reach out.
Thursday, February 29 at 4:30 p.m., an East St. resident came in to report a larceny of a phone and earbuds he had purchased online through the Samsung website. When the package was delivered via UPS, it was empty, and the box appeared to have been opened and retaped.
Fraud
Monday, February 26 at 1:55 p.m., a Baskin Rd. resident called to report finding a fraudulent charge on her bank account due to a forged check. She was missing a check and believed it may have been picked up by Home Instead. An unknown person was able to alter and cash the check for $3,900. She has been in contact with TD Bank for resolution.
Wednesday, February 28 at 1:40 p.m., a Grove St. resident came in to report one of her checks from her business had been washed. She was alerted by her bank of fraudulent activity. She used the USPS mailbox at the corner of Meriam St. and Adams in early February. The check was originally written for $12,153.18. The check was altered payable to another name for $50,253.18. Leader Bank froze this resident’s existing account and issued a new checking account. It was unclear if the bank had cashed the check or denied the transaction.
Thursday, February 29 at 12:10 p.m., a Winter St. resident sent an e-mail requesting to speak with an officer regarding bank fraud. The responding officer reported he spoke with this resident who stated sometime in October 2023 he realized his bank account for an LLC had fraudulent activity. He told the officer that the payments were being used to a “mysynchrony” account associated with Lowes. This resident stated that the account was used to pay $84,248 in expenses. The officer and this resident contacted Centerville Bank, which is the resident’s bank for this account, and spoke to a specialist who stated that since this was out of the 24-hour window of the transactions, the bank couldn’t trace the funds.
Thursday, February 29 at 12:30 p.m., a Bedford St. resident came in to report her home Xfinity Wi-Fi had been hacked. She stated that someone was remotely controlling her home computer and demanded she wire transfer $100,000 to relinquish control of her home Wi-Fi. She also noted there was an unauthorized $100,000 transfer conducted between her TD Bank savings account and checking account. She was advised to report the incident to TD Bank and Xfinity immediately. She was also advised to disconnect her home Wi-Fi router, disable her home computer’s Wi-Fi, and cease contact with the hacker. She was further advised to monitor her credit and bank information for any other suspicious activity and to report any additional issues to the Police Department. There is no monetary loss at this time.
Thursday, February 29 at 2:20 p.m., a Grove St. resident came in to report an unemployment scam. She received notification from her employer regarding unemployment benefits. She had not applied to receive unemployment benefits. An unknown person had utilized her personal information in an attempt to collect such funds. This resident had already contacted one of the three major credit bureaus and notified the FTC. The Unemployment Department of Massachusetts’s fraud department will deal with this case.
Friday, March 1 at 9:00 a.m., a Tower Rd. resident came in to report he had been a victim of a scam. He stated a vendor he used had their e-mail system hacked. He received an e-mail stating that there was new bank information and that he should send the payment to the new account. This resident sent his payment of $11,186.37 to the new account. He sent the payment on 1/25, and when he received the February bill it did not reflect the previous payment. On 2/15 he contacted the company, and they informed him of the fraudulent access to their e-mail system. He was advised to file a police report and contact his bank to advise them of the incident. There is a monetary loss of $11,186.37.
Saturday, March 2 at 12;05 p.m., a Percy Rd. resident came in to report he had received a letter from the Small Business Administration stating his name was used to take out a COVID-19 loan. This resident confirmed he had not taken a loan and there was no monetary loss. He also checked his other accounts and no fraudulent activity had taken place. He explained the Small Business Administration had provided him with steps to take to report this incident. This resident wanted to make proper documentation with the Police Department.
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.”
“3. Medical identity theft. In the case of medical identity theft, a fraudster will use your personal information to receive health care in your name.
What you can do: Review any Explanation of Benefits statements you receive from your health insurer for mistakes or unfamiliar charges. If you see activity you don’t recognize, report it to your insurance company. Check with your doctor to ensure your medical records are accurate. If you start getting bills for medical services you didn’t receive, call the provider and dispute the charges.”
February Statistics
Animal Control: 13
Assist Fire Department: 90
Community Engagement: 19
Cruiser Check (house): 14
Cruiser Check (business): 200
Cruiser Check (person): 29
Cruiser Check (general): 58
Cruiser Check (total): 301
Directed Traffic: 156
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk: 6
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools: 32
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.