The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to March 18, 2024. This information has not been independently verified by LexObserver.
Update: Lexington Police have completed their investigation into the report of an attempted childe abduction and concluded that this was not an abduction attempt and there is no ongoing threat to the community.
Thursday, March 14 during the early afternoon hours, members of the Lexington Police Department “responded to a call from an elementary-aged girl who reported she was playing in her backyard when a person grabbed her from behind and put their hand over her mouth. The child was able to break free and run away, and the person in question ran away as well… the department is working closely with members of the Wood St. neighborhood. There is no new information about a description of the potential suspect. At this time, they are described as a male, dressed in all black, wearing a black ski mask. Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage all members of the community to be vigilant and contact the Police Department if they observe any suspicious behavior or anything out of the ordinary in their neighborhoods.”
“Rest assured, the matter is being investigated by members of the Lexington Police Detective Bureau and information continues to be shared with regional detective groups.”
Community Engagement
Monday, March 11 at 11:45 a.m., Lieutenant Detective Dunbar attended a Domestic Violence Services Network course at the Concord Police Department.
Tuesday, March 12 at 11:00 a.m., Detective Chaisson met with the Town Manager and staff regarding safety protocols during various situations that might arise during the workday. The detective discussed lockdown situations and protocol, active threats, and unruly person situations.
Wednesday, March 13 at 6:00 p.m., Detective Chaisson hosted a Home Alone class at Lexington High School through the Lexington Community Education Program. The class provides parents and children with tools for having children stay home alone, see if they are prepared, and become prepared to be left alone at home. There were 13 children and 8 parents present.
Thursday, March 14 at 8:25 a.m., Sergeant Colatosti attended the Lexington Center Committee meeting to advise members of the updates for completing the new police station.
Directed Park Lock and Walk – Schools – a sampling.
Monday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m., an officer conducted PLW at Harrington School. This officer checked with the front desk, spoke with the vice principal, and greeted several students.
Tuesday, March 12 at 10:50 a.m., an officer conducted a PLW at Lexington High School. This officer spoke with the deans and other staff members. All appeared in order at this time.
Tuesday, March 12 at 12:40 p.m., an officer conducted a PLW at Estabrook Elementary School. This officer spoke with various staff members and students around the campus.
Wednesday, March 13 at 1:35 p.m., an officer conducted a PLW at Diamond Middle School. This officer interacted with staff members and students.
Friday, March 15 at 11:20 a.m., an officer conducted a PLW at the Bowman School. This officer familiarized herself with the school layout. She interacted with several staff members and students. Several classes were taking part in Saint Patrick’s Day festivities and were very enthusiastic that it was a 1/2 day of school. All was in order at this time.
Suspicious Activity
Monday, March 11 at 4:35 p.m., a Heritage Dr. resident called to report a male wearing a yellow/green jacket and black pants, walking into multiple front yards, and looking into mailboxes. The responding officer reported that units located this person and found out he was with Renewable Anderson and they had a permit from the town to solicit.
Wednesday, March 13 at 11:50 p.m., a Douglas Rd. resident called to report a dark-haired female wearing a short skirt was standing in her driveway. The individual in question was on her phone and proceeded to walk in the direction of Fulton Rd. Responding officers reported this person was gone upon their arrival.
Thursday, March 14 at 1:35 p.m., an Earl St. resident reported her daughter was walking their dogs in the neighborhood, and when she returned to their residence, a man followed her and attempted to open the door. She stated she heard the clicking noise from the door, which indicated it had been manipulated. After hearing this, the reporting party asked her daughter why the dogs were barking. She answered that someone was in their driveway. The man then left with his dog and headed toward Garfield St.
Friday, March 15 at 11:55 p.m., a Prospect Hill Rd. resident called to report a man wearing a gray hoodie knocked on her window and fled once he saw her. One responding officer reported that the individual was from a group of juveniles at a nearby party. Another officer remained in the area for a time.
Animal Control
Wednesday, March 13 at 11:35 a.m., the Animal Control Officer was notified regarding a dog found on Mass Ave. An individual reported finding the dog that was eventually returned to Hollow Lane.
Wednesday, March 13 at 2:25 p.m., an individual reported finding a dog on Wood St. She had it in her vehicle and brought it to the shelter on Westview St. The Animal Control Officer was notified and a picture was sent to a detective to post on social media.
Wednesday, March 13 at 3:30 p.m., an individual called to report that the dog found earlier in the day was hers, and she wanted to check at the Lexington Animal Shelter on Westview St. An officer met this individual at the kennel and confirmed that it did not belong to her.
Wednesday, March 13 at 4:00 p.m., a Patterson Rd. resident came into the station claiming that the dog found on the day shift was his. An officer met with him, confirmed ownership, and returned the dog to him.
Friday, March 15 at 10:15 p.m., an individual called and reported that while driving on Woburn St. near Minuteman Commuter Bikeway, he saw a coyote that appeared to be injured walking in the middle of the road toward Lexington Center. The responding officer checked the area and did not locate the coyote.
Fraud
Monday, March 11 at 12:30 p.m., a Barberry Rd. resident stated an unknown person used her American Airlines SkyMiles (53,500) to purchase an airline ticket. She’s suffered no monetary loss at this time, and she has contacted American Airlines for reimbursement of the SkyMiles. An officer suggested she continue to monitor her credit reports to ensure that no other accounts are opened using this information. She was also given the department’s identity theft pamphlet.
Tuesday, March 12 at 8:45 a.m., a Williams Rd. resident came in asking to speak with an officer regarding a check-washing scam. This resident dropped a check in the USPS mailbox in front of the Lexington Post Office approximately 2 weeks ago. The check was washed and cashed by an unknown person for $2,325.
Tuesday, March 12 at 1:15 p.m., a Watertown St. resident called to report a fraudulent loan was taken out in his name. He reported he received a delinquent notice for a loan from the Small Business Administration. The amount due was $20,833. The notice was dated February 28, but the due date for the loan was 10/17/22.
Thursday, March 14 at 4:35 p.m., an Adams St. resident reported $2,700 was fraudulently withdrawn from a Harvard University credit union savings account. The money was used to pay off a Lowe’s credit card account that was not hers. An officer reported that the credit union had identified the individual who was using her account to pay her credit card bill, and this individual stated she would like to speak with her attorney.
Thursday, March 14 at 5:05 p.m., a staff member at Walgreens reported a man scammed them out of approximately $1,400 in cash during a Western Union transaction. Video recordings show the individual taking money from the counter as a staff member was counting it. A store representative stated the individual had a California ID but could not retrieve the information from the Western Union system. He has been asked to send any available video footage as well as photos of the individual from the store security system to the Police Department.
Friday, March 15 at 3:55 p.m., a Bedford St. resident reported someone fraudulently opened three accounts using his name at Marcus by Goldman Sachs. Since the accounts were opened, there have been no deposits or transactions. There is no monetary loss at this time, and the financial institution advised this individual to file a report with the police. He was advised to notify the credit bureaus and to follow the fraud reporting guidelines set on the Social Security website.
IDENTITY THEFT – from EQUIFAX (Week 5)
“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.
5. Child identity theft. Most children under 16 don’t have credit reports, so it’s possible for a fraudster to open credit accounts in their name undetected. Some victims of child identity theft may not learn of the activity until they apply for student loans or a job later in life.
What you can do: If you suspect child ID theft, check with the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies to see if your child has a credit report. If they do, you can file an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and take other action, such as placing a security freeze on your child’s credit report or locking it. See more from the FTC on child identity theft.
*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.
The attempted abduction is very upsetting. I was a kid in Lexington in the ’60s, beginning when I was 8, and my sister was born a year after we moved to Lexington. I can’t imagine anything like that happening here back then. When we didn’t have school, we typically left the house after breakfast to find other kids to play with, and came home by dinner if not earlier. Starting when we were 10 or 11, my friend George and I would sometimes ride our bicycles on 2A to Concord and back. It was idyllic.