The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs during the week leading up to July 30, 2024.
Assault and Battery
Thursday, July 25 at 9:50 p.m., a caller reported a male punched him in the face at a residence on Burlington St. The caller and another were cleaning the house. They had been hired them from Craigslist to do odd jobs. They stated a third party was painting there. Lex Fire Dept. was contacted for a medical evaluation. The victim was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
Suspicious Activity
Wednesday, July 24 at 2:30 p.m., a caller reported a male in his 50s, wearing all grey, driving a red hatchback rang his doorbell and asked if they were in a cult. The person in question left in the vehicle heading toward Lowell St. Responding officers checked the area, but the individual was no longer in the area.
Saturday, July 27 at 9:50 a.m., a caller reported seeing two unattended “knapsacks” left near the gazebo at Hastings Park. The responding officer reported the backpacks appeared to have recently been left there and may belong to runners in the area. No suspicious items were inside the backpacks.
Disturbance
Wednesday, July 24 at 4:40 p.m., a caller reported a fight in progress on Concord Ave. Officers reported all calm upon their arrival. They reported two individuals from a group home in Watertown had an altercation while traveling in a transport van with staff present. The van’s operator pulled over to stop the fight. There were no injuries, and the staff stated they had a protocol in place when this occurred and would manage it in-house.
Sunday, July 28 at 10:35 a.m., an individual called 911 to report she was at a Watertown St. location to clean an Airbnb, and the guest would not leave. She stated a man came outside without a shirt and yelled at her. The responding officer reported that the individuals rented the house through Airbnb and had arranged to extend their checkout time beyond 10:00. The property manager discussed that the renters would still be in the house and additional fees would be charged. When officers arrived, the occupants were in their car ready to leave. The caller showed the officer video footage of the renter’s dog barking at her from inside the house while she stood outside of a closed screen door. She claimed she felt threatened by the renter yet was unable to articulate in what manner she was threatened. The officers explained that Airbnb booking was a civil matter, and she had the right to file a complaint at the Concord District Court.
Noise Complaint
Saturday, July 27 at 2:45 a.m., a caller reported a loud house party in the Hawthorne and Longfellow Rd. area. The caller did not want to leave callback information and did not provide an exact address. The responding officers reported a small adult gathering was taking place, and they had been advised of the complaint and agreed to “keep it down.”
Sunday, July 28 at 12:20 a.m., a Patterson Rd. resident reported loud music in the neighborhood. The responding officer located a large gathering down the road. The officers spoke with an individual who was celebrating his wedding in the backyard. He agreed to turn the music down and all was quiet upon departure.
Animal Control
Friday, July 26 at 9:55 a.m., a Vine Brook Rd. resident reported that her dog, a small black Lab, had “gotten loose.” She later reported she had found her dog.
Friday, July 26 at 6:05 p.m., several reports came in regarding a Beagle running around loose in the area of 450 Bedford St. One caller reported the dog had run into the backyard of 447 Bedford St. The responding officer did not locate the animal.
Friday, July 26 at 9:05 p.m., a Bedford resident came in asking for help finding his lost dog. The newly adopted dog had “gotten loose.” The dog was seen in the Bedford/Eldridge St. area earlier that day. The responding officers assisted in checking the area.
Saturday, July 27 at 6:35 a.m., a Prospect Hill resident reported a fox in her yard that appeared sick. It was gone when responding officers arrived.
Monday, July 29 at 12:30 p.m., a Phinney Rd. resident reported that a fox appeared sick in her backyard. Hmmm, recovering? Two days later this wily guy was still eluding the police!
Fraud
Saturday, July 27 at 9:55 a.m., a Burlington St. resident reported charges she did not make appeared on her credit card statement, and merchandise she did not order arrived at her address. She stated she had already called her credit card company and reported the fraud. The credit card company had reimbursed her for the charges, and she had received a new credit card. This resident wanted to be sure there was no further action needed.
Saturday, July 27 at 12:05 p.m., a White Terrace resident reported she mailed checks in Lexington on July 20 that were stolen and fraudulently cashed.
Monday, July 29 at 9:50 a.m., a Belfry Terrace resident reported an unknown person obtained his banking information and had been using it for online purchases dating back to July 1. This resident has notified his financial institution and they are currently refunding the fraudulent transactions. The current loss is $675.
Monday, July 29 at 10:15 a.m., a Lily Pond Lane resident reported fraud that started in June 2024. She began receiving notices regarding credit applications and one from Chrysler regarding credit extensions. All applications were denied. She reported them as fraudulent to the respective companies and the FTC. She has frozen her credit card and credit with major credit bureaus. There is no financial loss at this time.
*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.
Frankly, I am embarrassed at the size and cost of our police department when I read this blotter. A fraud unit and animal control could replace 80% of the police force. And on the rare occasion an actual crime is committed, if the perpetrator is not on the scene when police arrive, they are helpless. And there has to be less expensive ways to place individuals on their cell phones at road details.