The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to May 28, 2024. LexObserver does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Tuesday, May 21: Detective Chaisson gave a presentation at Brookhaven for 30 residents regarding ongoing scams and what the Police Department is observing in and around the Lexington community.
Tuesday, May 21: Detective Chaisson attended the Lex Rex Aquatics EAPs at the town pool. He reviewed safety protocols and what to do in various emergencies. Approximately 40 staff members attended, and the detective answered several questions from staff members based on past situations.
Tuesday, May 21: Detective Sullivan and K9 Maisey joined a 7th-grade class on their field trip to Kimball’s Farm in Westford.
Thursday, May 23: Detective Sullivan and K9 Maisie attended a meeting at Harrington School with the administration regarding social media awareness.
Friday, May 24: Two officers visited First Circle Learning Center. Officers exhibited the police cruiser and took photographs with children.
Monday, May 27: Two units assisted with traffic movement for Lexington’s Memorial Day Parade. It was concluded without incident.
Directed Park Lock and Walk -Schools
Eight DPLW school visits occurred at elementary, middle, and high schools this week. During each, there was interaction with students, faculty, and staff as officers familiarized themselves with each school’s layout. All was in order this week. Officer Brady was present at LHS on 3 occasions as the senior class celebrated their last class days and looked forward to graduation.
Motor Vehicle Crash
Friday, May 24 at 8:40 p.m., a caller reported a white Ford truck hit his car and left the scene at Fulton Rd. and Lowell St. The responding officer reported it as a road rage incident between two men. Both reported being sideswiped by the other resulting in minor damage. They gave conflicting accounts of how the crash occurred. As a result of the responding officer’s investigation, it was determined that one intentionally attached the wrong plate to his vehicle and operated in a public way. Police issued a citation as a summons for using the plate.
General Disturbance, Suspicious Persons, Suspicious Vehicles
Tuesday, May 21 At 7:05 p.m., a caller from Wilson Farm reported his manager was dealing with a belligerent individual who appeared intoxicated and refused to leave. Responding officers spoke with the employee who had reported the incident. The individual had left the property in an unknown direction. The employee was advised to call if he returned. They were also advised of a no-trespass order. When checking the area, police did not locate the person.
Wednesday, May 22 at 8:25 p.m., a Lawrence Lane resident, speaking as a contractor on a job site on Marshall Rd, stated neighbors on Marshall Rd. observed families with young children walking on the construction site. There are “No Trespassing” signs posted. An officer advised him to ask neighbors who complained to call the police if they observed trespassing.
Thursday, May 23 at 1:15 p.m., a call came in reporting a brown Toyota sedan had just pulled onto the bike path heading toward Hartwell Ave. The responding officer reported checking the area and did not locate any vehicle.
Animal Control
Tuesday, May 21 at 9:00 a.m., a caller reported a loose golden retriever near the soccer field at Minuteman Tech High School. Shortly afterward, a sergeant was approached by a “frantic dog owner” looking for a dog that matched the loose dog’s description. The ACO was notified and responded to Minuteman Tech to assist in locating the dog. The caller reported the dog owner arrived on scene, reacquired his dog, and left the area.
Sunday, May 26 at 7:40 p.m., a small brown dog without a collar was located on Grove St. heading up Dewey Rd. It appeared injured. Luckily, it was reunited with its owner.
Friday, May 24 at 8:50 p.m., a caller reported a dead raccoon in the area of Mass Ave. and Rhodes St. DPW was notified for removal.
Sunday, May 26 at 8:40 p.m., Burlington PD called for assistance with an injured goose near Opi Circle and North St. The responding officer reported the goose had been struck by a car before arrival, but the goose was up and off to the side of the road then walked away.
Noise Complaint and Town Bylaw
Sunday, May 26 at 11:55 p.m., a Lillian Rd. resident called to report his neighbors were having a party and their music was too loud. The responding officer reported it was all calm upon his arrival. There was a family party, and the homeowners were advised to go inside and turn the music down.
Wednesday, May 22 at 5:30 a.m., a Tarbell Ave. resident reported a contractor working before 7:00 a.m. The responding officers spoke with an individual from Rumley Painting and advised him to wait for the 7:00 a.m. bylaw start time. The homeowners are also responsible for adherence to the town’s bylaws.
Monday, May 27 at 2:10 p.m., a Whipple Rd. resident reported a contractor working in violation of town bylaws for a holiday. The responding officer attempted to communicate this to the workers from Empire Concrete, but communication was difficult. The homeowners are also responsible for adherence to the town’s bylaws.
Fraud
Tuesday, May 21 at 3:30 p.m., a Burlington resident came to the Lexington Police Station to report identity/check fraud that began in January 2024. The perpetrators may have gotten his personal information from Lexington Toyota. A forged license, which contained his MA license number, was used to cash a check in his name on May 16. On April 9 he had signed a new car lease at Lexington Toyota. A “finance person,” he was unable to describe had his license out of his view before returning it. This individual is working on his case with Burlington PD and is in the process of being reimbursed for his losses.
Tuesday, May 21 at 5:55 p.m., a Trotting Horse Dr. resident came in to report receiving letters from Bank of America, U.S. Bank, and Citibank indicating attempts to open credit cards in his name. This resident confirmed with Bank of America that the attempts had been denied and no credit card was opened. Currently, there is no monetary loss. He was advised to contact other banks and to monitor his credit. On May 25, he returned to report he had received letters indicating attempts to open cards in his name for Target, Walmart, GO2Bank, and another Bank of America card. He was advised to contact the PD if any monetary loss occurred in the future.
Thursday, May 23 at 4:15 p.m., a Mass Ave. resident came in to report an unknown person attempted to cash a check at a Citizens Bank in Manchester, N.H. on N Elm St. A bank rep called and stated an individual with this resident’s ID tried cashing a check for $2,200 from JP Morgan Chase. This resident reported he did not have a JP Morgan account. The bank teller noticed a significant difference between the individual and the ID presented. When asked for further ID, the individual left.
Thursday, May 23 at 10:25 p.m., a Burlington St. resident came in to report he had been a victim of fraud. He stated a current loss of $2,500.
Saturday, May 25 at 10:50 a.m., a Mass Ave. resident stated she needed assistance because her husband was “on the phone with a crypto scammer.” Her husband was providing personal information about finances, and she believed they were losing money. The officer reported the husband purchased $14,000 in Bitcoin that was transferred to an account of an unknown person.
Monday, May 27 at 3:30 p.m., a Turning Mill Rd. resident called to report a roofing company scam. He stated the loss was “about $1,000.”
AARP Fraud – May 2024
“Scams are epidemic these days as criminals use every conceivable avenue to separate consumers from their cash. It makes sense that they frequently pretend to be big companies or institutions affiliated with millions of people (potential victims, in their minds): the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, big banks such as Wells Fargo and Chase — or massive retailers such as Amazon.
Amazon, which raked in nearly $575 billion in net sales last year, is “the low hanging fruit” for scammers, because it’s one of those “entities that binds us all,” says Mark Fetterhoff, a senior adviser at AARP Fraud Watch Network.”
Next week: Common Amazon-impersonation scams
*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.