The following incidents were selected from the Lexington Police Department log during the week leading up to February 24. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
Suspicious Activity
Monday, February 17, at 9:25 p.m., a Harrington Road resident reported that while away on vacation, he observed someone on camera walking around his backyard a few minutes earlier when no one should have been there. This resident described the individual as a tall male in a puffy winter coat. Responding officers checked the area and did not locate anyone matching that description. The officers checked the perimeter, and all appeared secure.
Tuesday, February 18, at 4:50 p.m., a Diana Lane resident reported finding footprints in his yard that led to a rear window and sliding door. He discovered the footprints after being away from noon to 2:30 p.m. He called his utility companies and asked if anyone had come to the house, but none had been there. There are cameras on the house, but they are not functioning. The responding officer discovered no forced entry and walked through the house with the resident to confirm nothing had been taken.
Disturbance
Friday, February 21, at 11:45 p.m., a Bedford Street resident reported his son was outside yelling and banging on the door. He stated his son should not be there. The responding officer reported everything was calm upon arrival. The son had come home from a friend’s house, and the door had been locked. His banging on the door had upset both the father and son. They agreed to separate for the remainder of the night.
Town Bylaw Infractions – Noise Complaints
Friday, February 21, at 11:00 a.m., a Cooke Road resident reported a construction vehicle idling for the past hour. Construction was being done on Fulton Road. The responding officer spoke to the operator of the vehicle and advised him of the town’s bylaw.
Saturday, February 22, at 7:05 a.m., a Castle Road resident complained about construction work before 9:00 a.m. violating the town’s bylaw. The responding officer spoke with the foreman on the job and advised him of the bylaw. The matter was resolved.
Animal Control and Complaints
Tuesday, February 18, at 1:25 a.m., a caller reported a deer had been struck near Maple Street and Ingleside Road. The responding officer located the deer, but it ran before the officer could get a closer look. He followed the animal down Ingleside Road, then lost sight of it. The officer pursued and located the deer. It was unable to move with its broken leg. The officer used a rifle to euthanize the deer. DPW was notified to pick it up on the bike path near the Maple Street overpass.
Saturday, February 22, at 12:10 p.m., a caller reported finding a loose dog on Circle Road near Great Meadows. She couldn’t read the dog tag because she had her dogs with her. The responding officer located the owner and safely returned the dog.
Breaking and Entering
Wednesday, February 19, at 10:10 a.m., while a Dane Road resident was checking on his neighbor’s house, he noticed the house had been broken into through a back door. He was unsure whether or not someone was inside the house. The responding officers reported the back door to the living room had been kicked in. Officers checked the house, and footprints were located coming from Foster Road. A Dane Road neighbor stated she might have video footage of the incident.
Fraud
Wednesday, February 19, at 10:31 a.m., a Smith Road resident reported he received an Ulta Beauty credit card statement in his name in the mail. The account had been opened in November 2024 with a $184.11 charge. He had not opened or used this card. Shortly after he received this bill, another notice from Comenity (for Ulta Beauty) stated the account was delinquent. This resident also reported he received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Comenity who asked for his Social Security number. He provided the last four digits. He was unsure how someone accessed this information. Officers advised him to call Ulta Beauty and Comenity to report the fraudulent credit card, to file with a major credit Bureau, and not to provide any personal information on the phone regardless of who asked. This resident stated that no credit or debit accounts had suspicious activity. He was advised to report the compromised number to the Social Security Administration.
Wednesday, February 19, at 4:00 p.m., an Eldred Street resident reported he received a 1099K tax document for a credit card he did not open. The form was from Nello Labs Inc. of Georgia that showed a $961.69 credit card balance.
Friday, February 21, at 11:45 a.m., a Hathaway Road resident reported an email correspondence with his contractor had been hacked. This e-mail had wire information from Ohio. He believed this was his contractor’s bank and was trying to pay him for an invoice, so he wired the money. After speaking to his contractor, he discovered the wire information had been false. He reported this to Bank of America and believed his contractor’s e-mail had been hacked. This resident had monitored his accounts and there had been no suspicious activity. He notified his local contractor of the email. Bank of America is in the process of investigation and has not yet refunded the $10,294.00 that had been wired.
Excerpted from AARP January 2025: “25 Great Ways to Avoid Scams”
1. Accept your vulnerability
2. Practice radical skepticism
3. Pause and Think
4. Be suspicious of secrecy
5. Set up bank alerts
6. Be informed
When it comes to fraud, knowledge is power. “Educate yourself about threats,” Hayden advises. “Read headlines about scams and fraud… We can’t be prepared if we don’t understand what’s out there.” Also, learn about new and emerging technologies, suggests geriatric neuropsychologist Peter Lichtenberg, past director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University: “Scammers keep changing how they do things, so we have to stay vigilant.” You can keep up with the latest scams and technology by engaging with the AARP Fraud Watch Network and AARP’s Personal Technology Resource Center, reading public service announcements from the FBI’s IC3, and signing up to receive alerts from the Federal Trade Commission.
The Lexington Police Department updates its call log on Monday mornings. Lexington Observer coverage is a sampling of incidents and is not an exhaustive list. Logs are available for public viewing.