The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to May 13, 2024. LexObserver does not independently verify this information.
Arrests
Wednesday, May 8 at 10:10 p.m., a Bedford St. resident called to report a man at his front door who would not leave. This resident did not know him – he was wearing a white T-shirt and had a black bag. Police responded to the scene and determined that the vehicle this man was occupying did not belong to him, and it had been stolen. The responding officer took this Lowell resident into custody for a B&E of a Motor vehicle. The officers transported him back to the station where he was booked on several charges. After a brief evaluation, police determined that he should be transported to Lahey by the LFD and when appropriate, from Lahey to the Burlington PD for holding until transport to Concord District Court.
Sunday, May 12 at 1:35 p.m., a Whiskey and Wine employee reported an individual stole some items and ran off. He was described as a middle-aged male, wearing gray sweatpants and sweatshirt carrying two, large shopping bags. The responding officers caught up with him at Depot Square and arrested him for felony and misdemeanor charges. According to CJIS, this individual had a criminal history including guilty findings for shoplifting, extensive history of larceny, assault and battery, breaking and entering, narcotics violations, and multiple domestic disputes.
Community Engagement
Monday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m., Chief McLean and Captain Mazerall attended a 250th celebration meeting with Mass Department of Transportation in Boston.
Monday, May 6 at 12:20 p.m., a Sergeant and a Detective attended Suicide and Aging: Fact or Fiction at the Community Center led by an individual from Samaritans of Merrimack Valley.
Tuesday, May 7 at 9:40 a.m., several police personnel from Chief to Intern attended the Active Shooter Hostile Event Response (ASHER) training exercise at Hanscom Air Force Base.
Tuesday, May 7 at 11:00 a.m., Detective Chaisson conducted Active Threat training with 10 individuals from the Assessor’s Office.
Wednesday, May 8 at 11:00 a.m., Detective Chaisson conducted Active Threat training with the health department staff.
Wednesday, May 8 at 11:40 a.m., Lt Detective Dunbar attended a meeting and gave a presentation on Lexington Police Department resources to the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association.
Thursday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m., Lieutenant Dunbar and Caitlin, the clinician, attended a seminar on mental health crisis for the Clinical Reference Group.
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – 9 were completed in elementary, middle, and high schools this week. During each, there was interaction with students, faculty, and staff as officers familiarized themselves with the school’s layout. All was in order this week.
Breaking & Entering and Larceny
Wednesday, May 8 at 3:00 p.m., a Wilmington resident called to report the back window of her vehicle had been smashed while parked near 511 Waltham St. A brown Louis Vuitton miniature backpack had been stolen from the floor of the front passenger seat. She did not recall what was in her bag. She had her wallet and phone on her person at the time. OnStar theft alarms at 10:50 a.m. stated someone had tried to break into her vehicle. Because the alarm had gone off before without cause, it wasn’t until 2:50 p.m. that she discovered the damage to her vehicle and called police. One responding officer checked surrounding houses for camera footage.
Friday, May 10 at 5:20 p.m., a Lexington Ridge Drive resident called to report two stolen bicycles. She was unsure when this had occurred, but she had just noticed. The responding officer spoke to her and her juvenile son, who stated they had gone on vacation with their bikes and left the lock next to the bike rack beside their home. When they returned someone had used their lock to secure their bikes. The key to the lock no longer worked. They had last seen their bikes unsecured on the rack a few days ago.
Suspicious Activity and a Disturbance
Monday, May 6 at 6:05 p.m., an officer reported being flagged down by a Lincoln St. resident while on his traffic assignment In the morning. An individual unknown to the homeowner rang her doorbell inquiring about $400 from her husband. After being told her husband was not home, the individual left on foot. No one in the household recognized him. Responding officers checked the immediate vicinity for camera footage. This resident was encouraged to call back if the person returned.
Monday, May 6 at 9:30 p.m., a Mass Ave. resident called to report her neighbor saw a man in her yard staring at her house. There was no crime committed, but when her neighbor asked the individual what he was doing, he walked away. The responding officer checked the area with negative findings.
Tuesday, May 7 at 7:40 p.m., a caller reported a woman sitting in her parked vehicle at the Center Playground. The woman was hitting something in the front seat. The caller was unable to specify what was being hit. The incident was 20 minutes old at the time of dispatch, and officers checked the area but did not locate the vehicle.
Saturday, May 11 at 12:40 p.m., the Chairman of Security at Temple Emunah requested a cruiser to speak to a guard about an individual who “seemed confused.” This male had walked to the temple and inquired about services. The security guard said he was not dressed for the service, and that he could wait outside for his ride. He left without incident. The responding officers spoke with him, and he stated his name and that he was from Lincoln, and he was waiting for a ride. He was informed security wanted him to leave the property, and he began walking away. A woman in a white SUV arrived and explained she was looking for her son. She explained he suffered from some “mental health concerns.” She did not elaborate but said Lexington PD could contact Lincoln PD as they had frequent “interactions” with her son.
Thursday, May 9 at 6:55 a.m., a passing motorist called to report observing 2 men fist-fighting, but it was ending. He was unable to describe those involved. The responding officer checked with the individuals at the location who said a verbal confrontation had transpired, but everyone was OK.
Animal Control
Tuesday, May 7 at 9:45 a.m., hmm, how did the turtle get to the other side? Ahh, an officer assisted with moving the large turtle to the safety of the side of the road.
Tuesday, May 7 at 8:30 p.m., a Golden Ave. resident said a white dog was unleashed and wandering around her backyard. She did not recognize the dog. The responding officer stated the dog had been retrieved by the owner who lived on Golden Ave.
Wednesday, May 8 at 1:25 p.m., an individual called to report she had located an off-leash black lab at Lincoln Field, and while getting control of it, the dog scratched her vehicle. She showed the responding officer the medium-sized scratch. Another individual called to report she had lost her dog at Lincoln Field. She had an E collar but it didn’t work, and the dog ran from her. With the officer present, the finder and the keeper exchanged information and agreed to manage the repair costs without police involvement.
Thursday, May 9 at 9:15 a.m., Brookhaven security called to report an injured coyote in front of the Fairfield building. Security agreed to meet the officer at the loading dock and direct him in. The injury must not have been life-threatening as the officer reported the coyote was GOA.
Fraud
Monday, May 6 at 5:00 p.m., a Bedford resident came in to report a check he mailed at the Lexington Center U.S.PS mailbox in March had been stolen and washed on April 14.
Monday, May 6 at 7:25 p.m., a Milk St. resident came in to report an incident of fraud on Facebook Marketplace. He purchased a bicycle on 4/22. He paid $100 via Venmo but did not receive the bicycle.
Tuesday, May 7 at 12:10 p.m., a Spring Street resident received a call from Bank of America regarding his stolen identity. The representative stated an ID was taken from a subject after they attempted to withdraw cash from a teller. After checking this account, the individual noticed 2 transactions for $800 each from different BOA branches in Texas. He has since frozen his accounts and has not noticed any other suspicious transactions.
Wednesday, May 8 at 10:45 a.m., a Waltham St. resident was contacted via phone by an unknown party attempting to obtain money from her. She tried to withdraw funds from her account at Cambridge Savings Bank, but the transaction was declined as fraudulent. They contacted family members and informed them of the fraudulent transaction. This resident has not lost money at this time. Her son contacted LPD to inform them of this incident.
Thursday, May 9 at 3:10 p.m., an officer reported an incident of fraud for an employee at a local business. This officer reported a fraudulent check that was altered and cashed in New York for $10,000.
Friday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m., IRS informed Adams St. residents that an unknown party had been filing fake tax returns on their behalf for the last 3 years. The most recent filing was denied on April 2, 2024, which triggered the investigation and subsequent discovery of dual filings. These residents were advised to contact a credit watch company to review and monitor their information online. currently, there is no monetary loss.
Saturday, May 11 at 2:45 p.m., a Roosevelt Rd. resident came in to report check fraud. She discovered one of her personal checks was forged to $11,525.01 on April 28. She does not know the person listed as the payee nor did she write the check. This resident typically uses the USPS mailbox across from Five Forks Sunoco. She notified her bank and requested a report be filed with the LPD.
*From AARP Fraud Watch Network April 2024
There are six scams experts say you should be watching out for this year. This week:
6. Paris Olympics scams
Criminals try to find ways to exploit big events that are in the news. With the Paris games coming up this summer, Nofziger suspects that we may start seeing a revival of the fake emergency scam, which bears similarities to the grandparent scam but is slightly different. It could work something like this: A scammer hacks someone’s email account, and shortly after, all of that person’s contacts will receive the same message — something to the effect of, “Hey guys, I’m over in Paris and my wallet got stolen! Can anyone please help me out by sending gift cards or a Venmo deposit?”
To the recipients, it’s a potentially convincing ruse. “You’re thinking very quickly, well, Amy was in Paris two years ago, and she loves the Olympics, so it all makes sense,” Nofziger explains. “Yeah, I’ll send you money.”
And Olympics officials are warning ticket seekers to avoid bogus ticketing sites and scam emails purporting to be from Paris 2024 (the official website for the games) or the Olympic committee.
How to stay safe: Resist the urge to react immediately if you hear from a friend in Paris needing cash. Instead, follow the Federal Trade Commission’s advice and try another way to contact the person who supposedly is in need, such as calling them on the phone. Alternatively, reach out to a trusted source who knows the person and would be aware of whether or not they went on a trip to Paris.
If you’re intending to go to Paris and receive emails regarding tickets to the games, the official website for Paris 2024 notes, “You will never be asked for the login details for your ticketing account (ID and password)” or “banking details.” Check the sender’s email address; scammers will often change one letter or number, or use .com rather than .org, hoping recipients will mistake the fake address for the legitimate one.”
*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.