The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to April 1, 2024. This information is not independently verified by the Lexington Observer.
Firearms Violation
Wednesday, March 27 at 9:10 a.m., the school resource officer received a call from the Estabrook Elementary School principal after an employee said that he had spotted a firearm inside a vehicle that was parked and unoccupied in the school parking lot. The SRO reported observing the firearm on the front passenger seat of a car. Shortly thereafter, another officer and a sergeant joined her. The vehicle was registered to a staff member who had a license to carry in Massachusetts. The officer spoke with this individual who confirmed the firearm belonged to them, and they left it unsecured on the front seat “by mistake.” The officers seized the firearm and license. The SRO notified the Boston Police Department. The staff member was placed on administrative leave.
Protective Custody
Saturday, March 30 at 8:40 a.m., multiple 911 calls reported a male subject yelling in the middle of the roadway in the area of 526 Marrett Rd. The responding sergeant located the Waltham resident, and an officer placed the individual into protective custody and transported him to the police station without incident.
Directed Park Lock and Walk – Schools – a sampling
Monday, March 25 at 8:00 a.m., a school officer conducted a PLW assignment at Diamond Middle School. She conducted a walkthrough, interacted with multiple staff members and students, and familiarized herself with the school layout. All was in order.
Monday, March 25 at 12:15 p.m., an officer conducted a PLW assignment at Bowman Elementary School. He spoke to administrative staff and teachers and greeted students.
Tuesday, March 26 at 2:00 p.m., an officer inspected the grounds, spoke with staff, and played with children on a playground structure at Fiske Elementary School.
Wednesday, March 27 at 9:00 a.m., the Maria Hastings School Officer completed a walkthrough of the school. She interacted with several students and staff members and familiarized herself with the school layout. All was in order.
Thursday, March 28 at 9:10 a.m., an officer reported checking in at Bridge School. She familiarized herself with the layout of the building and interacted with staff and students.
Suspicious Activity
Monday, March 25 at 2:30 p.m., a Concord Ave. resident called to report two males, claiming to work for a drain company, were in his backyard digging a large hole. The responding officers reported they were employees of the Cotting School and all was in order.
Tuesday, March 26 at 1:40 p.m., a Lincoln St. resident called from his workplace in Boston claiming to have witnessed, via a Ring Doorbell camera system, a female taking packages from his front porch. This caller described the female, but the responding officer checked the area and was unable to locate the individual. This resident agreed to contact the police when he got home from work if he determined he was missing packages. Later, this resident spoke with an officer and confirmed that three packages had been stolen from the front porch. The total loss was $60.00. With surveillance footage, he was able to see the person come from the Sunoco parking lot. He will send the footage to the police station.
Tuesday, March 26 at 2:15 p.m., a caller reported a white male with a beard, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, appeared to be tampering with the US postal mailbox. The responding officer reported the individual was a U.S. Postal Service employee who was replacing the mailbox. All was in order.
Animal Control
Wednesday, March 27 at 10:30 a.m., the Animal Control Officer completed a PLW of Lincoln Field and surrounding areas and all appeared in order.
Congratulations Canines! No complaints about you this week!
Unfortunately, it was another tough week for our wildlife.
Wednesday, March 27 at 10:00 a.m., an employee at 20 McGuire Rd. reported an injured turkey in their driveway. The responding officer reported Officer Thatcher of the environmental police responded and took possession of the injured turkey. Our Animal Control Officer also responded.
Wednesday, March 27 at 3:00 p.m., a caller reported a dead raccoon in the area of Bedford St. and Carroll Lane. DPW was notified for removal.
Thursday, March 28 at 4:15 p.m., a caller reported a dead pheasant in the area of Adams St. and Hancock St.
Friday, March 29 at 2:00 20 p.m., a caller reported an injured coyote on the side of the road near Myrna Road and Adams St. The responding officer checked the area but the coyote was gone on arrival.
Saturday, March 30 at 9:30 a.m., a Mason Street resident reported an injured raccoon in the driveway. The responding officer put the animal down with one round. DPW was notified for removal.
Saturday, March 30 at 4:30 p.m., a dead turkey was located across from 94 Pleasant St. The animal was off to the side of the road and not obstructing traffic. DPW was notified for removal.
Sunday, March 31 at 4:40 p.m., a call came in regarding a sick raccoon. The responding officer checked the woods but was unable to locate it.
Noise Complaints
Monday, March 25 at 10:15 p.m., a Concord Ave. resident called to report loud noises were coming from her neighbors. She stated it sounded like there was drilling and that it was shaking her house. The responding officer spoke with the individuals who worked for the town of Lexington doing some emergency sewer work at that address.
Saturday, March 30 at 8:40 p.m., a Stedman Rd. resident called to report that her neighbor’s music was very loud. The responding officer spoke with the neighbor who reported she was listening to music while cooking. She turned down the music.
Saturday, March 30 at 11:20 p.m., a Childs Rd. resident called to report he could hear a loud noise in the area of Mass. Ave. and Cedar St. that sounded like fireworks. The responding officer checked the area with no findings.
Sunday, March 31 at 9:20 a.m., a Stedman Rd. resident called to report her neighbor was once again banging on her walls on purpose and playing loud music. The responding officer reported hearing banging, but the resident would not answer the door. The phone numbers in the system were no longer working. The noise stopped and the caller was advised regarding an HPO (harassment protection order).
Attempted Burglary, B&E, and Larceny
Saturday, March 30 at 1:55 p.m., an officer reported an alarm sounding in the area near Depot Square. The officer discovered an audible alarm coming from 4 Muzzy St. and a rear door pried open. No additional signs of forced entry into any of the offices upstairs. The basement and upstairs bathrooms were accessible but were found vacant. Responding officers canvassed the area for cameras; however, none of the building’s security cameras were operational. A detective processed the scene.
Saturday, March 30 at 6:50 p.m., a Wyman Rd. resident reported his vehicle had been broken into sometime between 2:15 and 3:30 p.m. while parked in the lot of 80 Worthen Rd. Three credit cards and one debit card were stolen from the vehicle.
Sunday, March 31 a bike valued at $800 was reported stolen. It was taken between 3:30 and 7:00 p.m., from inside the Main Campus Dr. C2 garage.
Fraud
Monday, March 25 at 1:00 p.m., a Grant St. resident came in to report fraud. Someone opened a savings account at Marcus by Goldman Sachs using her information in January. She received a bank statement in the mail showing an initial deposit of $1.00. This resident contacted the bank to notify them of fraud and was advised to file a report. There is no monetary loss and this resident has already notified the bank, FTC, the Social Security Administration, and credit card bureaus. Goldman Sachs has closed the account.
Wednesday, March 27 at 3:30 p.m., a Mass Ave. resident came in to report a check he deposited on March 24 at the USPS mailbox in front of Cary Hall was stolen, altered, and forged. This resident stated that the check was written out to LL Bean for $4,000 and then altered to $14,700.
Saturday, March 30 at 8:50 a.m., a Potter Pond resident reported she was swindled on Wednesday, March 27th. She was contacted via e-mail by an individual claiming to work for Avast Security. This resident was instructed to send $600 for computer software. She was later instructed to send more money to the company. She reports sending a total of $10,600 to the company.
Sunday, March 31 at 10:55 a.m., a Fairfield Drive resident came in to report she was the victim of a check-washing scheme. She mailed a Bank of America personal check made payable to Macy’s for $1,000 on 3/24 around 1:00 p.m. She used the USPS mailbox in the horseshoe driveway outside of Town Hall. She discovered the check had been altered to $12,650 and cashed at Citizens Bank on 3/25. She reported the incident to Bank of America who froze her account and issued a new checking account. She mailed three other checks that day, none of which made it to their intended recipients.
*From AARP Fraud Watch Network 2024 Visit AARP’s website for info regarding tax-related scams.
Tax season isn’t just about filing returns; it’s also prime time for IRS impostor scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported losses of $5.8 million to these scams in 2023 alone.
March Statistics
Animal Control:30
Assist Fire Department: 119
Community Engagement: 15
Cruiser Check (house): 51
Cruiser Check (business): 241
Cruiser Check (person): 33
Cruiser Check (general): 75
Cruiser Check (total): 400
Directed Traffic: 182
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk: 20
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools: 41
Fraud:15
*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.