The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to March 25, 2024. LexObserver does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Thursday, March 21 at 3:00 p.m., Detective Chaisson gave a presentation about scams to 30 residents at Waterstone Living Center.
Saturday, March 23 at 10 a.m., Detective Ducharme and Detective Hankins presented at the 10th annual Parent Academy hosted by Lexington Public Schools at the community center. The detectives spoke about keeping children safe on social media and other online outlets.
Saturday, March 23 at noon, Detective Hankins attended a Lexington Youth Commission service project. In partnership with the Lions Club, LYC members processed and cleaned over 2,000 glasses to be recycled and reused for people in need.
Directed Park Lock and Walk – Schools – a sampling.
Monday, March 18 at 8:30 a.m., an officer conducted a walkthrough at Lexington High School. She interacted with several students and staff members as she familiarized herself with the school layout.
Tuesday, March 19 at 12:40 p.m., Jonas Clark Middle School. While familiarizing herself with the layout of this school, an officer spoke with several staff members and students.
Tuesday, March 19 at 2:00 p.m., Estabrook Elementary School. An officer met with school faculty members and joined two classes for afternoon recess.
Wednesday, March 20 at 8:00 a.m., Bowman Elementary School. An officer checked the grounds and inspected parking conditions, and he spoke with crossing guards assisting students.
Thursday, March 21 at 9:30 a.m., Fiske Elementary School. While continuing to familiarize himself with the layout, an officer greeted the school staff and students. He spoke with firefighters who were conducting inspections and observed student artwork throughout the building.
Thursday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m., Bridge School. An officer checked school grounds, entrances/exits, playgrounds and fields.
Suspicious Activity
Wednesday, March 20 at 12:25 pm., a Wyman Rd. resident reported a gray Jeep occupied by two males holding clipboards had been parked in his neighborhood for approximately 30 minutes. The responding officer found it was parked legally and unoccupied. All appeared in order.
Friday, March 22 at 9:00 a.m., a Lincoln St. resident reported a vehicle parking in the neighborhood daily. He asked for a cruiser. The responding officer spoke to the vehicle owner who was a painter working in the neighborhood. His license had been suspended, so the officer issued a citation. The vehicle was legally parked, and a licensed driver would move it from the area.
Friday, March 22 at 10:20 a.m., the facilities director at Waterstone reported a suspicious male on the property. The responding officer located and identified the individual walking on Watertown St. All was in order.
Friday, March 22 at 8:15 p.m., a Richmond Circle resident reported her son had returned home to find an open door. He was asking that an officer come to assist in checking the house. Officers made entry and checked the interior of the house. All was secure.
Saturday, March 23 at 3:40 a.m., a Paul Revere resident reported a truck running for half an hour. The responding officer reported a male had arrived home from college early and didn’t want to disturb his parents. All was in order.
Animal Control
Wednesday, March 20 at 8:50 a.m., a caller reported a dog had been attacked by a raccoon on Mass Ave. The dog was taken to a veterinarian for shots. The caller reported the raccoon was still behind a house nearby. The Animal Control Officer and the Board of Health were notified. The responding officer located the raccoon and used two rounds to put it down. The BOH was notified to retrieve the remains, and the ACO will follow up with the dog owner whose dog must be quarantined for 45 days.
Friday, March 22 at 10:45 a.m., a Child’s Rd. resident reported an injured skunk on her property. She did not want the skunk put down at this time as she feared “bodily fluids that may emanate from the animal.” The resident agreed to contact the health department and let the animal “pass on its own without any intervention.”
Friday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m., a Locust Ave. resident came in to report a dog bite that had occurred. She reported walking her dog on Mass Ave. at approximately 9:45 a.m. when a golden “doodle-type” dog ran from the front lawn onto the sidewalk of a house and confronted her dog. The dogs had a short scuffle which this resident broke up. She later noticed she had a small bite mark from the incident that broke her skin. Request made for follow-up with the A.C.O.
Sunday, March 24 at 4:10 p.m., a walker reported a possible injured horse near Revere St. The responding officer spoke with the owner of the horse and was happy to find the horse was simply sleeping.
Sunday, March 24 at 7:55 p.m., a Buckman Drive resident called to report his neighbor’s dog had chased him. The responding officer spoke with the resident who was not injured but was fearful of the new neighbor’s dogs. The officer spoke with them and they stated the dogs had escaped and run up to the individual. He was apologetic and said he was working on a better way to keep them contained.
A tough week for our wild animal friends… 2 coyotes, 2 skunks, 2 raccoons, 1 squirrel, and 1 deer were reported injured or killed in Lexington. Please remember to share the road and report any injured or dead animals for appropriate rescue or removal.
Noise Complaints
Tuesday, March 19 at 12:30 a.m., a Main Campus Drive resident called and stated his neighbor had been “blasting music” and causing a disturbance. The responding officer spoke with the neighbor who agreed to lower the TV volume.
Sunday, March 24 at 3:30 a.m., a Grapevine Ave. resident called to report his neighbor’s music was too loud. The responding officer spoke with the neighbor who said she had fallen asleep with the TV on. She agreed to turn down the volume for the evening.
Fraud
Monday, March 18 at 7:50 p.m., a Bridge St. resident reported an unknown person attempted to open Capital One credit under his name. Capital One closed the account before it was used, and there was no monetary loss. This resident was advised to monitor his credit report and to contact the police in the future if he finds any suspicious activity.
Tuesday, March 19 at 8:15 a.m., a Lincoln St. resident came in to report he had been a victim of check fraud. He mailed two checks in a USPS mailbox, and the checks were altered and then cashed by an unknown suspect. He has reported the incident to his bank. His current loss is $54,824.50.
Tuesday, March 19 at 11:25 p.m., a Stimpson Ave. resident called to report an attempted fraud via e-mail stating that this resident had issues with his PayPal account. There was no monetary loss. He recognized it as a scam as he did not have a PayPal account. The responding officer reported this resident had gone to Citizens Bank and the teller advised him that it was likely a scam. He decided to return to Citizens Bank to close his current account.
IDENTITY THEFT – from EQUIFAX (Weeks 6 and 7)
“Identity (ID) theft occurs when a stranger gains access to your personal information without your knowledge or consent. An ID thief may use your information to open lines of credit in your name or submit applications for things like employment, insurance coverage, or housing.
If left unchecked, identity theft could negatively impact your credit reports and credit scores or make it difficult for you to reach personal financial goals. So, it’s important to understand the different types of ID theft, how they occur and what you can do.
6. Estate identity theft. This occurs when an ID thief uses the personal information of a deceased person to steal money or open accounts.
What you can do: Make sure the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies place a death notice on the deceased person’s credit reports. See this Equifax article on other credit-related steps to consider after a relative’s death.
7. Criminal identity theft. All identity theft is criminal, but this particular type occurs when someone who has been arrested provides your personal information to law enforcement. You generally won’t be able to detect criminal ID theft until consequences arise – for instance, a speeding ticket goes unpaid and a judge issues a bench warrant for your arrest.
What you can do: Consider limiting the amount of personal information you share on social media, as you never know who might access it. If you are a victim of criminal identity theft, contact law enforcement immediately. You can find more information about criminal identity theft at the federal government’s Identity Theft Resource Center you can do to protect yourself and your personal information.
*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.