Police Blotter: Someone spotted photographing kids at the bus stop

The following incidents were selected from the Lexington Police Department log during the week leading up to March 10. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.

Community Engagement

Tuesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m., members of the Detective Bureau hosted a community conversation on residential burglaries and their impact on the Southeast Asian residents in town. An overview of safety tips and resources was presented.

Friday, March 7, at 8:45 a.m., Detective Chaisson and Detective Sullivan participated in a ride to school for the winner of a Police Ride to School that was part of the Bowman PTO silent auction.

Saturday, March 8, at 9:30 p.m., two officers reported speaking with Omar’s World of Comics and Hobbies staff about upcoming community events and their bistro.

Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools

During this past week, officers made six visits to elementary schools and two visits to middle schools. During a visit to Estabrook School, an officer visited with staff and students and familiarized herself with classrooms and the school grounds.

Suspicious Activity

Monday, March 3, at 2:15 p.m., an Emerson Gardens resident, along with another parent, noticed an individual taking photographs of kids at the bus stop during morning pickup around 8:30 a.m. She stated that before bus pickup, a window facing the bus stop opened, and a camera was mounted in the window. When the bus left, the window closed and the individual stopped taking the photos. They noticed this was happening daily. They heard the camera lens shutter clicking the entire time the window was open. An officer will follow up with the residents and the School Resource Officer was notified.

Wednesday, March 5, at 5:10 p.m., a resident reported a “suspicious” red Subaru parked for 45 minutes near Joseph Comee and Solomon Pierce Roads. The responding officer checked the area, but the vehicle was not located.

Disturbance and Noise Complaint

Wednesday, March 5, at 12:55 p.m., a caller from the Edinburgh Center reported a former resident was refusing to leave. She was going through the pantry and taking items that were not hers. Responding officers reported the dispute was over food left in the common area. The individual left in a cab without any further incident.

Sunday, March 9, at 9:15 p.m., a Main Campus Drive resident complained about noise from a neighboring apartment. The responding officer did not hear any noise upon arrival. When the officer spoke with the reported resident, she stated her four small children were “just playing.” The caller wanted the officers to enforce the complex’s noise policy and to tell the parents to “put their children to bed at 9:00 p.m.” The officer explained this was not a police matter and to contact the Housing Authority with the complaints.

Speaking of NOISE: A Noise Bylaw Update:

“Starting March 15, commercial landscapers will be prohibited from using gas-powered leaf blowers, escalating the current rules that limit their use on a seasonal basis. Residents can still use gas-powered leaf blowers (abiding by seasonal restrictions) until March 2026, when the ban extends to the entire town.”

Animal Control and Complaints

Thursday, March 6, at 9:50 a.m., the Animal Control officer reported patrolling Lincoln Field and speaking to one individual regarding his dog on the turf.

Thank you for keeping your pets safe. There were no reported incidents regarding off-leash dogs loose in the roadways. 

With the end of winter and warmer weather around the corner, please keep an eye open for increased activity among wild creatures out and about with their young. 

Larceny 

Thursday, March 6, at 5:20 p.m., an employee of Lexington Spa on Mass Avenue reported a client received a nail service and left without completing the payment process. Responding officers spoke with the manager. He explained that a Waltham client left without paying the full amount for the services provided. She tried to pay with an American Express credit card, but that was not accepted at the spa. The customer attempted to use a MasterCard, but it was not accepted as it had another’s name on it. The client then left without completing her payment. When officers spoke to the Waltham resident, she claimed she thought her MasterCard had been accepted. She stated that the employee followed her to the parking lot, pulled on her car door handle, and demanded to see the tip. Eventually, she paid the remaining $77.00 via Venmo.

Breaking and Entering

Saturday, March 8, at 7:50 a.m., a Kendall Road resident reported someone entered his property without permission. When he arrived home, he noticed his front door was open slightly. The family room and kitchen were in disarray, so he exited the house and called the police. Responding officers entered the residence and secured the scene. It was later reported that nothing had been stolen from the property.

Fraud

Friday, March 7, at 9:10 a.m., a Tower Road resident reported an attempt to open an account with Bank of America (BOA) using his name and business information. BOA was able to stop the transaction before it occurred, and no account was opened. There is no monetary loss at this time. He was advised to monitor all accounts, notify Social Security, put a freeze on his information, and file with one of the three major credit bureaus.

Friday, March 7, at 2:15 p.m., a Brookwood Road resident reported he was the victim of a scam that was posted in a Lexington MA community Facebook group. Someone posted they had four Celtics tickets to sell. He spoke with this individual who agreed to sell the tickets to him for $150.00 per ticket. He agreed to pay for two tickets, and after receiving those, he would pay for the remaining two. He attempted to pay her via Zelle, which was declined. He then paid via Apple Pay. Once she received the money, she claimed she could not send him the tickets until he paid another fee. In total, he paid $700.00 and never received any tickets.

Excerpted from AARP January 2025: “25 Great Ways to Avoid Scams”              

8. Find a sounding board

Another way to protect yourself from scams is to build community, suggests Anthony Miyazaki, a professor of marketing at Florida International University, where he studies consumer protection. “Research has shown that negative well-being and lack of social support are correlates of scam susceptibility,” he says. “It’s worthwhile to bolster your social support group, whether it’s through community groups, churches, volunteer work or part-time jobs.” And it’s a good idea to have at least one person who can help you identify potential scams by being a financial confidante—an objective party you can consult before making big purchases or money transfers to ensure that they’re wise and legitimate. You also can call the toll-free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 for advice, support and resources (available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET).

9. Sign up for identity monitoring

Credit score and identity-monitoring services can help you quickly detect and stop fraud. “Monitoring services can alert you to fraudulent activities, such as unauthorized transactions or identity theft, giving you the opportunity to act before things spiral out of control,” Zirkle says. You might already have access to a free monitoring service through your bank, credit card company or other service provider, points out Christopher Ray, a longtime chief information security officer who is now head of strategic and transformation services at Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant. “Credit-monitoring services keep an eye on your credit score and let you know if anything changes. This could be anything from new accounts being opened in your name to someone checking your credit history. If something fishy is going on, you’ll get an alert so you can fix it right away,” Ray says.

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.