For the reporting period of Monday, November 17th – Sunday, November 23rd, your CPD officers responded to 491 calls for service. Those calls included 24 vehicle crashes, including multiple reports of vehicles leaving the scene, and 52 calls to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following significant incidents: 

Officers responded to the intersection of Clayton Rd. and Big Bend Blvd. for a report of a crash with injuries on Monday afternoon. One of the drivers explained he had been attempting to turn northbound onto Big Bend when his vehicle was struck by a car traveling westbound on Clayton Rd. His passenger complained of injury to her wrist; however, following an evaluation on the scene by EMS personnel, she refused further treatment. Both vehicles sustained minor damage and were driven from the scene.

A woman responded to the CPD on Tuesday afternoon to report that a vehicle had left the scene of a crash. She explained she had been stopped at a red light at the intersection of westbound Clayton Rd. and Big Bend when her car was struck from behind by a red Toyota SUV. She stated that as she exited her vehicle to assess the damage, the light changed, and the striking vehicle drove away. She could not provide any further information regarding the SUV or its driver. The investigation continues.

That evening, a woman reported she had been driving westbound on Forest Park Parkway in the right lane when the vehicle directly behind hers sped up to change lanes. She stated that the vehicle had struck the driver's side of her rear bumper as the driver began to merge into the left-hand lane. She said she had pulled to the side of the road to exchange information, but the other driver had continued driving westbound. The woman provided license plate information for the striking vehicle, and Officers are attempting to identify the driver.

Wednesday evening, a woman reported another vehicle had left the scene of a crash on southbound I-170. The reporting party stated she had been at a complete stop due to traffic congestion ahead of her when a silver sedan struck the passenger side of her car. The driver of the striking vehicle did not stop to exchange information, and she last saw the car driving at a high rate of speed and exiting at Forest Park Parkway. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

Officers returned to CVS early Thursday morning for a delayed shoplifting report. An employee stated she had witnessed a woman fill several gift bags with merchandise before leaving the store without making a purchase. The woman was last seen entering the passenger seat of a black pickup truck parked in the lot. She could not provide the make, model, or license plate for the truck, but recalled that the driver's side taillight was broken. The employee estimated the total value of the stolen merchandise was just over $100. The investigation continues.

That afternoon, Officers responded to a local condominium for a fraud investigation. The property manager explained that one of the building's vendors had emailed him stating the condo building had two unpaid invoices. The emails requested payment by wire transfer. He explained that he usually completed the payments by mailing a check, but had authorized the wire transfers. However, after further review, their IT department discovered the emails requesting the bank transfers had been forged to appear as legitimate requests from their vendor. The property manager notified their bank of the fraudulent activity, and the investigation is ongoing. 

A man reported that he had been in stop-and-go traffic on southbound I-170 later that afternoon when he had accidentally accelerated and crashed into the vehicle in front of him. The collision caused severe damage to the front end of his car, and the vehicle was towed from the scene. Thankfully, neither driver was injured in the crash. 

Finally, a CPD Officer was parked on the Walgreens parking lot just before midnight on Thursday night when he was alerted that a vehicle wanted by Kirkwood PD had just passed a Flock Safety camera in our jurisdiction. The Officer observed the vehicle turning eastbound onto Clayton Rd. from Big Bend, and he initiated a traffic stop. 

While speaking with the Officer, the driver stated he did not have his driver's license on him and instead provided false identification information verbally. As the Officer attempted to verify the information, the man sped away from the traffic stop. Officers canvassed the area and found the car in the DeMun business area. As Officers attempted to stop the car, the vehicle drove in the wrong direction on Southwood Ave., then turned onto Skinker Blvd. and out of our Officers' sight. 

Through a computer inquiry, Officers determined that the vehicle's registered owner was the same individual driving the car. At the time of the traffic stop, the man had active warrants for his arrest through the Florissant Police Department for traffic charges. As a result of fleeing our Officer's traffic stop, the man and the vehicle were both entered as wanted for Felony Fleeing. The case will be presented to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for consideration. 

Anyone with information about these or other investigations is asked to contact the CPD at (314) 645 -3000.