For the reporting period of Monday, December 1st – Sunday, December 7th, your CPD officers responded to 370 calls for service. Those calls included nine vehicle crashes and 52 calls to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following incidents:

On Monday afternoon, officers responded to the 6300 block of Forsyth for a shuttle bus crash. The bus was stopped at a red light when another vehicle slid and struck its rear bumper, causing minor damage. No injuries were reported.

Later, Officers were called to an apartment complex in the central business district for a delayed theft report. The Property Manager explained that someone had stolen several packages from the building over the weekend, and the theft was captured on surveillance cameras. Video footage showed the driver of a red, newer model Chevrolet Cruz carrying a plastic food bag into the building’s vestibule Saturday evening. After she placed the bag in the lobby, the woman removed seven packages from the lobby and secured them in her vehicle. She was last seen driving away northbound on N. Bemiston Ave. The investigation continues.

A CPD Traffic Officer was on patrol Wednesday afternoon when he observed an SUV displaying a Missouri temporary license plate that had expired in 2022. He initiated a traffic stop in the 7700 block of Forsyth and learned that the driver did not have vehicle insurance. He was subsequently issued summonses for his traffic violations and has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court. As the Officer spoke with the driver, he discovered an active warrant for his arrest through the St. Louis County Police Department for Domestic Assault. The warrant was confirmed as active, and the man was arrested and transported to the St. Louis County Justice Center.

A man contacted the CPD on Thursday afternoon to report someone had left the scene of an accident. He explained he had parked his vehicle at the curb in the 7700 block of Forsyth and as he was exiting, a passing SUV struck his driver’s door. Thankfully, he was not injured in the crash. The SUV driver did not stop or attempt to exchange information. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.

CVS employees contacted CPD on Friday night to report suspicious behavior inside the store. Specifically, they observed two men and a woman lingering for a long time and suspected they were attempting to steal merchandise. When a CPD Officer arrived, he did not see the two men; however, he noticed the woman pushing a shopping cart and carrying a large purse. As soon as she saw the Officer, she immediately abandoned the cart, exited the store, and triggered the anti-theft alarms. The Officer confronted her, and she admitted to stealing over $120 in merchandise. She was arrested for Shoplifting and has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.

On Saturday afternoon, officers responded to the intersection of Hanley Rd. and Forsyth Blvd. for a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian. A man reported he had been turning onto eastbound Forsyth from the southbound lanes of Hanley Rd. when his vision was obstructed by the sun reflecting off the glass-paneled buildings in the area. As he completed the turn, he felt a sudden impact and realized he had struck a pedestrian in the crosswalk. The collision caused the pedestrian to fall and strike her head on the ground. The woman was transported to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

A few hours later, witnesses reported that the two men pictured here had taken packages from the Moorlands neighborhood. They were seen moving from building to building, removing Amazon packages and loading them into a silver Honda with Illinois plates and heavy damage along the passenger side. The subjects left before officers arrived. The investigation continues.

The next morning, a maintenance employee for a local hotel contacted the CPD after finding damage to a vehicle in the hotel’s garage. The windshield of a guest’s vehicle was shattered sometime overnight. No witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.

Officers were called to our station on Sunday afternoon after a pedestrian found an Apple Watch. When officers arrived, however, they discovered the caller had already left the watch in the PD foyer and did not stay to speak with them. The watch is now being held for safekeeping. If you believe it is yours, you can contact the CPD at (314)645-3000.

Finally, Officers were called to the intersection of Big Bend and Clayton on Sunday night for a vehicle crash involving a wrong-way driver. A woman explained she had been driving northbound through the intersection when she was struck by another vehicle. The other driver stated he had been travelling southbound on Big Bend and was turning onto eastbound Clayton Rd. He stated he had not seen the median in the roadway and had been driving in the westbound lanes when he struck the other vehicle. Thankfully, neither driver was injured in the crash.

As Officers continued speaking with the wrong-way driver and conducted their roadside investigation, they observed signs that he had been driving while impaired by an unknown substance. Consequently, they arrested him. Upon a subsequent search, they found unidentified capsules inside his vehicle. The capsules were seized as evidence and will be sent to the St. Louis County Crime Lab for analysis. After the lab results are received, this case will be presented to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges for Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Anyone with information about these or other investigations is asked to contact the Clayton Police Department at (314) 645-3000. Until next week, stay safe!