Police Blotter: Cremated remains shipped to wrong address

The following incidents were selected from the Lexington Police Department log during the week leading up to January 13. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information. 

Community Engagement

Monday, January 6 at 3:50 p.m., a detective and an officer met with the Lexington Housing Authority and several residents at Countryside Village to discuss ongoing issues with one resident. Complaints varied from late-night noise, entering homes without permission, to stealing Amazon packages and DoorDash food deliveries from wheelchair-bound resident. Also, residents indicated there had been unwanted physical touching. Before this meeting, residents feared retaliation for reports of incidents to the police.

Thursday, January 9 at 3:40 p.m., a detective assisted with school pickup at Harrington School and explained the procedure to a few families.

Saturday, January 11 at 4:40 p.m., a sergeant and an officer spent time in Depot Square interacting with passersby.

Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools

During this past week, officers made 4 visits to elementary schools, 1 visit to Diamond Middle School, and 3 to the high school. During a visit to the high school, an officer walked around the school, spoke with staff and students between classes and all was in order. 

Suspicious Activity

Tuesday, January 7 at 12:55 p.m., an individual at Temple Isaiah reported a man hanging around and looking in windows. Responding officers checked the area, but this person was no longer on the premises.

Friday, January 10 at 1:20 p.m., a caller reported a package of cremated remains had been shipped to the wrong address. The package was addressed to another individual on Ingleside Rd. An officer delivered the package to the proper address.

Friday, January 10 at 10:45 p.m., a caller reported a motor vehicle that was not supposed to be parked in the private lot. The caller reported a black sedan occupied by male juveniles. Responding officers checked the area but did not locate a vehicle matching the description or the juveniles reported. 

Noise Complaints

Wednesday, January 8 at 12:35 a.m., a Phinney Rd. resident reported construction noise in the area. Responding officers checked and reported the noise was from the route 2A bridge construction.

Saturday, January 11 at 11:20 p.m., a Blossom St. resident reported noise from a neighbor’s party. The adult homeowner was advised of the complaint. At 12:55 a.m., the same caller reported the party was still very loud. Responding officers returned to the location and advised the homeowner.

Animal Control and Complaints

FYI: The Lexington Animal Shelter is for emergency placement only. It is an unheated, cinderblock structure. Please know where your dog is at all times. 

Monday, January 6 at 6:45 p.m., the dog officer checked on a dog that was being held in the kennel. He stated the dog had water and was in good condition. He returned at 10:25 p.m. and reported he let the dog out and made sure it had plenty of water for the evening.

Tuesday, January 7 at 5:20 p.m., the ACO reported the dog being held at the shelter for two days was finally claimed and released to the dog owner’s father, a Grant St. resident. 

Wednesday, January 8 at 11:30 a.m., a Malt Lane resident had tied up a dog outside in the cold weather. It was left unattended. The responding officer was able to get the dog into the house and out of the cold. The owner of the dog was advised.

Saturday, January 11 at 5:50 a.m., a Bedford caller reported seeing a loose dog in the area of the Russian Math School on Hartwell Ave. near Beth Israel Lahey Primary Care building B. The responding officer was unable to locate the dog.

Larceny

Tuesday, January 7 at 1:00 p.m., a Wakefield resident reported a flag belonging to the Avenue Barber Shop was missing. The flag had been staked into the ground. He reported the last time the flag was seen was on Monday by a neighboring business. The responding officer checked the area for the flag and cameras but with negative results.

Wednesday, January 8 at 4:25 p.m., an April Lane resident and her father came into the station to report she had brought her air pods to Lexington High School and placed them on her desk. She left her desk unattended, and when she returned, they were missing. She has the Find My Device app on her phone and has a location for the air pods. An officer will follow up.

Thursday, January 9 at 9:20 a.m., a Leeland Dr. resident reported that a MacBook computer worth approximately $1,500 was delivered the day before via FedEx around 12:20. Shortly afterward, an unknown male it. The theft occurred around 12:35 p.m., and this resident provided Ring camera footage. The suspect was operating an older black sedan. 

Thursday, January 9 at 4:05 p.m., an employee reported the theft of a $500 bottle of alcohol from Busa Wine and Spirits on January 8 at approximately 7:45 p.m. The business owner provided security camera footage of the theft. The individual was an older male. The detective bureau has been notified for further investigation.

Fraud

Thursday, January 9 at 7:20 p.m., an Ingleside Rd. resident reported her Mass DTA (Department of Transitional Assistance) card had a zero balance. She used the card in Lexington as well as other locations in neighboring towns. On 12/31 her DTA card had an unknown charge for $357.47. She has contacted the DTA but has yet to get confirmation on where the charge originated. The responding officer collected all pertinent information and exchanged the case number with this resident. She was advised when she can confirm which store and town the charge came from, a full police report will be generated.

Friday, January 10 at 12:55 p.m., a Main Campus Dr resident filed for unemployment on January 5 and learned he was the victim of a Social Security scam. He received several calls claiming he owed money to the office of Social Security or he would be arrested. This resident had already contacted the Social Security Administration and a claim was submitted for him. This resident stated he had been struggling financially recently and was unable to purchase food. He was advised of the food pantry in town and told to reach out to Lexington’s department clinician who might be able to provide further resources.

On Saturday, January 11 at 1:05 p.m., a Maple Street resident reported speaking to a man she believed was a scammer on the phone. She said she received a phone call from a number she did not recognize. The man on the phone said she had won a new car. This resident provided her personal and bank information to the scammer. The responding officer called her brother and explained the situation, including the necessary steps to protect his sister’s credit, identity, and bank accounts. There was no monetary loss at the time.

Start 2025 on the right track. Two steps you can take now:

Excerpted from AARP: Create Stronger Passwords

A recent AARP report revealed that 64% of Americans do not use distinctly different passwords on all their accounts. That means when one account is compromised others are at risk.

Use strong and unique passwords or passphrases that are at least 12 characters long and combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Memorizing multiple passwords can be tough, so consider using a password manager, such as Dashlane, Bitwarden, and 1Password, to securely store and generate strong passwords.

Use Multi-factor Authentication

In addition to strong passwords, adding a second layer of defense to your accounts makes it harder for cybercriminals to gain access.

Multi-factor authentication requires a one-time code—sent by text, email, or phone message, or through an installed app on your device—in addition to your password.

More sites and apps offer this, but not always by default. To turn it on, check your account settings for terms like two-factor authentication, two-step verification, or multi-factor authentication, and follow the setup steps.

*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.