The following incidents were selected from the Lexington Police Department log during the week leading up to March 17. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Monday, March 13, at 7:00 p.m., Detective Sowle and Detective Hankins attended the monthly Lexington Youth Commission meeting hosted at the police station. During the meeting, the Police Department provided pizza for the youth members of the commission as a thank-you for their help with the Toys for Tots annual drive conducted this winter.
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools
During this past week, officers made eight visits to elementary schools, two visits to middle schools, and one visit to the high school. During a visit to Estabrook Elementary School, an officer monitored the parking lot and grounds while observing children playing on the playground. The officer was available to the staff and children to discuss any current events or concerns they had.
Suspicious Activity
Monday, March 10, at 9:20 p.m., a caller reported that a “confused woman” came to his door looking for Shelley Road. She had dark hair and wore a blue face mask. She held a white bag as she walked up Taft Avenue.
Tuesday, March 11, at 10:00 a.m., a caller reported an unmarked, white utility van she believed looked like a vehicle she had seen in the weeks before the B&Es that occurred in the area. The responding officer spoke with the Sherburne Road homeowner who stated they were having construction done and all was in order.
Tuesday, March 11, at 9:00 p.m., a Massachusetts Avenue resident reported a group of teenagers sitting in a silver SUV in the back of the parking lot nearby. The caller did not recognize the vehicle as one of the residents who lived there.
Wednesday, March 12, at 9:15 p.m., a Franklin Road resident observed a suspicious male wearing black clothing, sneakers, a hat and gloves “walking methodically through the neighborhood and did not belong there.” She believed he was looking into houses. The responding officers checked the surrounding areas and some of the houses that were under construction nearby. Nothing appeared out of order and the individual was gone on arrival.
Friday, March 14, at 5:35 p.m., an East Emerson Road resident reported a suspicious man sitting in a 2019 gray Mini Cooper parked in front of his house. The responding officer did not locate the vehicle.
General Disturbance
Monday, March 10, at 3:10 p.m., a caller from the town pool area on Worthen Road reported an altercation on the track. Two elderly individuals with a small dog were involved. After speaking with them, the responding officer established the dog did not bite anyone. It was free from its leash, but the leash just rubbed against one’s leg. Lexington Fire Department obtained a signed patient refusal for further involvement.
Town Bylaw Infractions
Monday, March 10, at 8:15 p.m., a Hayes Avenue resident reported contractors working at a Castle Road residence after allowed hours.
Saturday, March 15, at 8:00 a.m., a Whittier Road resident reported landscapers working in violation of the town bylaw’s 9:00 a.m. start time.
Sunday, March 16, at 8:25 a.m., a Woodcliffe Road resident reported loud noises from a business on Hayden Avenue. He reported this had occurred in the past on early Sunday mornings. The responding officer reported checking the area and determined the noise was from a street sweeper on Hayden Ave. The responding officer spoke with the individual and advised him of the bylaw.
Animal Control and Complaints
Wednesday, March 12 at 9:50 a.m., a Maple Street resident reported a Husky running in the road. This caller trapped the canine in his fenced yard. The responding officer relayed the tag number to dispatch. The dog belonged on Cliff Avenue. The officer took the dog to the Cliff Ave. owner who took custody.
Another good week for Lexington’s canines—only one complaint. Also, thank you for looking out for our wildlife during this warmer weather.
Larceny
Tuesday, March 11, at 2:05 p.m., Crafty Yankee on Mass Ave. reported a theft. The suspect was a female in her 70s. She wore a gray hoodie and leggings, and she carried the stolen Louis Vuitton bag. The suspect reportedly left the store minutes earlier. A store representative spoke to the responding officers and showed them security footage.
Wednesday, March 12, at 10:10 a.m., a Cliffe Ave. resident flagged down an officer regarding larceny. The resident told the officer in November or December that a couple stole six items, valued at $15 each, during a yard sale. Also, a “$100 trash barrel and recycling bin” had been taken in late February.
Fraud
Tuesday, March 11, at 2:15 p.m., a Clark Street resident reported she was a victim of identity theft. On March 7, she discovered someone had opened a Wayfair account in her name and used her information to make purchases. She reported she has had no monetary loss, and she had notified her banks, the FTC and the major credit bureaus. She also put a freeze on her Social Security number. After receiving her credit report, she noticed suspicious activity, but has not seen any credit card use. She was advised to file a fraud report with the SSA and continue to monitor all accounts. She stated she had a billing address in Michigan for the purchases, and she had forwarded all information to the Michigan Police Department.
Tuesday, March 11, at 4:30 p.m., an Adams Street resident reported she had been charged $3,000 on a Verizon account under her name. She was advised to work with Verizon and alert her financial institutions of any fraudulent activity. Also, she was advised to notify the PD if she noticed further fraudulent activity.
Wednesday, March 12, at 10:00 a.m., a Meriam Street resident reported an attempt to open an Ulta account in Rhode Island in his name. He also reported three attempts made to withdraw funds from his Citizen’s Bank account totaling $4,400.00. He asked the bank how the money had been withdrawn, but they could not provide any information. He opened a fraud investigation with Citizens Bank, he was refunded the money, and he closed his account. He reported all information to three major credit Bureaus and put a credit freeze on his accounts. There has been no other suspicious activity. This resident gave the PD a photo of the suspect for distribution.
Wednesday, March 12, at 5:35 p.m., an individual representing Bina Farm Center reported a possible scam involving a male who claimed to represent the Amazon Business. He left approximately 30 minutes before the report. The responding officer spoke with the executive director and advised her that it was a confirmed legitimate business practice. The officer advised her to manage the situation like any other business solicitation. She was advised to call with any questions or concerns.
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
7. Don’t pay for anything in gift cards, cryptocurrency or gold
8. Find a sounding board
9. Sign up for identity monitoring
10. Avoid unsolicited calls, texts and emails
Because scammers often initiate contact by phone or text, one of the easiest ways to protect yourself from scams is to avoid answering calls or texts from unknown numbers. Set up robocall blocking, for one, but even familiar numbers can be suspect. “Phone numbers can be spoofed to appear on your caller ID as being from a legitimate source, hiding the real number contacting you,” notes Steve Weisman, senior lecturer of law and taxation at Bentley University and editor of the blog Scamicide.com. Email addresses can similarly be manipulated. “Expand the headers on your inbound email messages by clicking the little down arrow so that you can see the full email address, not just the name of the sender,” DeLiema advises. “Read their email address carefully to make sure that a criminal didn’t just copy [a legitimate one] and make a small change in the letters of their name or organization.” If you do engage with an unknown party by phone or email, avoid providing personal or financial information.
11. Freeze your Credit
When you freeze your credit, “it blocks anyone from opening new accounts or lines of credit in your name, which stops scammers in their tracks,” Zirkle says. It’s free and easy to freeze your credit by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. You can initiate a credit freeze online—over the phone or by mail—and temporarily pause or permanently remove it later if you need to apply for a loan, for instance. You can also request a free credit report from each of the three federal credit bureaus every 12 months. (Find out more at AnnualCreditReport.com.)
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.