The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to March 11, 2024. This information has not been independently verified by the Lexington Observer.
Community Engagement
Tuesday, March 5 at 9:00 a.m., Captain Barry, Sergeant Colman, and Officer Ham attended an Active Shooter Hostile Event Response (ASHER) at Boston MedFlight for MassPort.
Tuesday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m., Chief McLean and Lieutenant Detective Dunbar attended the film presentation by Lexington United Against Anti-Semitism in collaboration with the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association and Lexington Human Rights Committee.
Wednesday, March 6 at 8:30 a.m., officers assisted students and parents with their monthly Bike Train ride to school. The event was successful.
Wednesday, March 6 at 8:40 p.m., Lieutenant Detective Dunbar attended a Select Board meeting at Town Hall.
Directed Park Lock and Walk – Schools
Monday, March 4 at 11:55 a.m., an officer conducted a PLW at Maria Hastings School. The officer greeted staff at the front desk and talked with a class going into the library about checking out and returning books. Before leaving, the officer spoke with a couple of teachers and followed up on the 10-year-old who had been hit by a car while on her bike that morning.
Tuesday, March 5 at 9:20 a.m., an officer conducted a PLW at Lexington Children’s Place. The officer checked in, interacted with staff and students, and familiarized herself with the school’s layout.
Tuesday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m., an officer conducted a PLW at Harrington Elementary School. The officer completed a check of the exterior and interior of the school. The officer entered through the front door and spoke with the office staff. The officer reported all was in order.
Thursday, March 7 at 8:30 a.m., an officer conducted a PLW at Lexington High School. The officer familiarized herself with the school layout and met staff members and students in the front lobby, front office, library, and nurse’s office.
Friday, March 8 at 10:20 a.m., while conducting a PLW at the Jonas Clark Middle School, an officer assisted the staff with a student who was upset and attempting to leave the building. They devised a safety plan with the school social worker. The student agreed to an evaluation at Children’s Hospital and was driven there by their mother.
Larceny
Thursday, March 7 at 9:15 a.m., an individual from Waldorf School reported a student’s bicycle was stolen from the front of the school. The caller stated the suspect rode on a BLUEbikes bicycle left behind at the school and stole a student’s bike. The BLUEbikes bicycle was retrieved and brought back to the police station.
Friday, March 8 at 11:10 a.m., a Forest St. resident came in to report that her Apple Air Pods had been missing since November but were currently pinging in Acton. She reported noticing her Air Pods were missing around November 11. She believed she had lost them or they were stolen from her purse while at Cary Library. Using the Find My app on her phone, she saw that her air pods were active at two locations in Acton in February.
Animal Control
Monday, March 4 at 9:50 a.m., a motorist reported a German Shepherd running into traffic near Grove St. and Carriage Dr. The responding officer checked the area but did not locate the dog.
Friday, March 8 at 8:35 a.m., a caller reported a sick or injured coyote in her yard. The responding officer reported the coyote looked as if it had mange. Once approached, it took off running into a wooded area.
Friday, March 8 at 1:25 p.m., a Doran Farm Lane resident reported finding a small, brown and black Yorkie. She agreed to care for the dog until it was claimed or when she could no longer hold on to it. The Animal Control Officer was notified.
Friday, March 8 at 2:10 p.m., a small gray terrier was found at the Mobil station at 647 Lowell St. An officer picked up the dog and took it to the town shelter. Because the dog had a microchip, the officer was able to locate the owner who agreed to pick up the dog.
Sunday, March 10 at 8:50 p.m., a call came in regarding an injured deer located near Fern St. and Pleasant St. The responding officer reported the animal was no longer in the area.
Suspicious Activity
Wednesday, March 6 at 4:25 p.m., a Lily Pond Lane resident reported a suspicious male came to her front door and advised her she was behind on her electric bill. The subject stated he worked for Eversource. The responding officer reported the male was wearing a blue coat, black pants, and a tan hat. The subject visited other homes in the neighborhood. Several neighbors reported the same pattern of activity. The suspect left in a white sedan. Several neighbors have Ring footage of this male. The caller contacted Eversource who said they did not have anyone in the area and would never come to her home to collect payment. There was no monetary loss, and the officers who checked the surrounding neighborhoods did not locate the suspect. Photos and videos of the suspect and vehicle are on file.
Wednesday, March 6 at 5:55 p.m., and Augustus Rd. resident reported a suspicious motor vehicle. This resident reported an unknown male knocked on his front door and then went back to his red pickup truck that was parked in front of the house. The responding officer reported the truck was gone before his arrival.
Wednesday, March 6 at 7:35 p.m., a Dexter Rd. resident reported a white station wagon following a woman. The responding officer located the vehicle and spoke to the operator. He stated he was just trying to get his daughter into the car. All was in order.
Thursday, March 7 at 9:10 a.m., a Lily Pond Lane resident reported a male claiming to be from Eversource was attempting to access his outdoor electrical panel. After speaking with the resident, it was determined that the person did work for Eversource. He had left a contact slip and all was in order.
Sunday, March 10 at 9:50 a.m., an officer observed a male jump a fence by Bright Horizons on Waltham St. and moved behind the building. A vehicle pulled up with two females inside who stated that it was the boyfriend of one of them and he was heavily intoxicated. Officers contacted the individual and identified him. He was intoxicated but was now in the care of his girlfriend. They told officers they would be waiting for an additional person to arrive. The officer remained on scene and all parties left without incident.
General Disturbance and Noise Complaint
Friday, March 8 at 11:50 p.m., a 911 call came in reporting a group of youths gathering outside near Cook and Fulton Rds. and yelling. They were walking toward parked cars on Fulton Rd. Responding officers checked the area and located approximately 15 youths. They were at a gathering on Fulton Rd. Officers spoke with the homeowner on scene who reported she and her husband were home for the gathering but had gone to bed and were not aware of how loud the group was. The gathering had ended and youths were leaving the area.
Saturday, March 9 at 9:20 a.m., a 911 caller reported a resident of a group home nearby was threatening to “stab everyone.” The subject was in his room and did not have any weapons at that time. Officers spoke with this individual through the door and eventually got him to calm down and open the door. He was upset over room assignments within the home and became enraged when staff wouldn’t allow him into another resident’s room. This individual’s mother was contacted by phone and spoke with officers. Advocates were contacted. A Section 12* was issued, and this individual was transported to Lahey via the Lexington Fire Department
*Section 12 is “a transportation order to a hospital. Once a patient arrives at the hospital, he/she must be evaluated by a physician (psychiatrist) to determine if he/she needs to be involuntarily committed for no more than 72 hours. Only the physician can make the commitment determination.”
Wednesday, March 6 at 9:55 a.m., a Harrington Rd. resident called to complain about noise from the First Parish Unitarian Church. The caller reported that the church recently completed renovations, and since that time bells have sounded every hour on the hour including overnight. This resident and his children have been awakened by this several times. He has attempted to contact the church via phone and has not received a return call. The responding officer advised that no one was available at the church. He found a contact number at the location and left a message advising them of the complaint. On March 6, an officer spoke with the director of operations who stated this was an ongoing dispute with this resident. He is working with a company to lower the volume of the bells.
Fraud
Monday, March 4 at 12:30 p.m., Spring Street residents reported their personal computer had been “hacked”, and a non-English-speaking male claiming to be an FBI agent called and instructed the residents not to contact local police. The residents did not provide any personal financial information. This was a phone scam attempting to get bank information from the residents. There was no monetary loss and residents were advised not to communicate any personal financial information to callers claiming to represent government agencies.
Tuesday, March 5 at 5:10 p.m., a Highland Ave. resident came in asking to speak with an officer regarding a check-washing scam. This resident reported mailing a check for $112 at the Lexington Center post office mailbox. The check was altered and cashed for $19,325. Bank of America flagged the check as fraudulent and refunded this resident’s account. There was no monetary loss.
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.
4. Employment identity theft. Identity thieves may use your information to get a job or pass a background check.
What you can do: Be wary of any potential employers asking for credit or bank account information for the purposes of a background check, particularly if they haven’t interviewed you yet. In addition, be wary of any communication from a personal email address instead of a company email. The federal government’s E-Verify site can show you all employers that have checked your records, so you can see if there are any unfamiliar ones.
*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.