For the reporting period of Monday, November 24th – Sunday, November 30th, your CPD officers responded to 333 calls for service. Those calls included 16 vehicle crashes and 41 calls to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following significant incidents:
A resident of the 7600 block of Maryland Ave. contacted the CPD to report that an unknown man was knocking on his door early Monday morning. As they searched the area, responding Officers found a man covered in mud nearby. When he refused to identify himself or answer the Officers' questions, he was arrested for Failure to Comply. During a subsequent search of this person and a bag he had been carrying, Officers discovered a burnt glass pipe with suspected narcotic residue. The pipe was seized as evidence, and the man was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was released with summonses and has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.
Monday evening, Officers responded to a report of a vehicle leaving the scene of an accident at a parking garage in the central business district. The victim explained he had parked his vehicle in the garage that morning. When he returned after work, he found fresh damage to the passenger side of his car. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
Later that night, a resident of the Moorlands neighborhood reported property damage. She explained that someone had scratched or "keyed" both sides of her car while it was parked in the shared garage of her building. She stated that she had just moved into the building and had not been involved in any disputes. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. An investigation is ongoing.
A man reported that he had been seated in his parked vehicle on Maryland Ave., near Lancaster, late Tuesday afternoon, when it was struck from behind. He explained that a Red Chevrolet Equinox had been parked in the space behind his vehicle, and the Equinox had struck his car as it pulled away from the curb. The driver of the Equinox had not stopped to exchange information. The reporting party obtained the vehicle's license plate, and Officers are working to identify and contact the driver.
An early morning traffic stop near the intersection of Clayton Rd. and Big Bend Blvd. Thursday resulted in the arrest of a passenger for possession of suspected cocaine. The controlled substance was seized as evidence and will be forwarded to the St. Louis County Crime Lab for analysis.
What began as "trash talking" during a basketball game at the Center of Clayton on Friday afternoon quickly turned physical when a 20-year-old man believed one of the players was behaving too aggressively toward his teen brother. He explained his brother had been on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend when the other man, a 19-year-old, accused him of recording him. He stated that the 19-year-old had pushed his brother's phone away and, in the process, pushed the juvenile in the chest. He said that he had reacted by punching the man in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. He was subsequently arrested for Assault 3rd degree. This case will also be forwarded to the City of Clayton Prosecuting Attorney for consideration of charges of Assault 4th degree against the 19-year-old related to pushing the juvenile.
A resident contacted the CPD Saturday night to report that she believed she was the victim of a scam. She explained she had been contacted by fraudsters who claimed she had been implicated in a criminal investigation in another country. Coincidentally, she had recently visited the country in question but had never travelled to the region where the crimes allegedly occurred. To clear her name, she cooperated with the scammers, sharing copies of her identification and providing her current address and financial account information.
As of the time of this report, she had not noticed any unauthorized activity on her accounts. However, as the calls increased in frequency, she became suspicious and, after an online search, learned she had likely been deceived. She then froze her credit and began notifying her financial institutions of the potential for fraudulent activity. To learn more about common scams, visit ic3.gov. To report identity theft and find additional resources, visit identitytheft.gov.
Finally, CVS employees contacted the CPD early Sunday morning to report that a man was behaving suspiciously inside the store. They explained that they believed the man had stolen merchandise from the store and suspected he had returned to shoplift again. Employees conducted an inventory of merchandise in the area the man had visited earlier that morning and discovered that three boxes of 5-hour Energy drinks were missing, valued at over $70. As the Officers spoke with the man, they observed a box of 5-hour Energy drinks partially concealed inside an unzipped duffel bag he was wearing. The man was subsequently arrested, and two additional boxes of 5-hour Energy drinks were found inside the bag.
A computer inquiry later revealed the man had an extensive history of convictions for stealing and was on probation. His arrest at CVS was his fourth theft offense in less than ten years, making it a felony. The case will be forwarded to the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office for consideration of charges.
Anyone with information about these or other investigations is asked to contact the CPD at (314) 645 -3000.
