For the reporting period of Monday, February 9th – Sunday, February 15th, your CPD Officers responded to 489 calls for service, including 20 vehicle crashes and 40 requests to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following incidents:
The property manager at a building in the 8000 block of Forsyth contacted the CPD on Monday morning to report someone had damaged the parking gate arm over the weekend. A review of surveillance footage showed a man had forced the gate into the air to allow a vehicle to exit the garage on Saturday, damaging the arm mechanism in the process. Officers identified the individual, and he is working with the property manager to make restitution for the damage.
A witness reported seeing a large SUV strike two parked cars on Arundel before leaving the scene on Tuesday night. As they searched the area, a CPD Officer observed an SUV with heavy front-end damage stopped on Ellenwood. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the vehicle was also missing its front passenger side tire, and the driver was still seated inside. Officers instructed the man to exit the vehicle so they could speak with him. As he did, he displayed several signs of impairment. Following a roadside investigation, Officers arrested the man for Driving While Intoxicated, Improper Lane Usage, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident. He has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.
On Thursday afternoon, a man contacted the CPD to file a delayed report about a vehicle leaving the scene of an accident. He explained that he had parked his vehicle in a public lot in the central business district on Monday. When he returned, he found fresh damage on his car and a note from a witness who had seen a Dodge Challenger strike his car before leaving the scene. The witness provided information about the license plate on the car. However, the plate expired in 2023 and was last registered to a Cadillac SUV. The investigation continues.
A CPD Traffic Officer was on patrol in the east end of town early on Friday morning when he noticed a vehicle swerving in the westbound lanes of Clayton Rd. He initiated a traffic stop and contacted the driver. A computer inquiry revealed that the woman had several previous drug-related arrests, and the St. Louis County Police Department wanted her in connection with a warrant for an Animal Nuisance. While he awaited confirmation of the warrant, the Officer instructed the woman to exit the vehicle and empty her pockets. As she did so, she attempted to conceal an item which the Officer immediately recognized as drug paraphernalia. She was subsequently arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. During a search of her vehicle, the Officer uncovered additional paraphernalia and several pills believed to be a controlled substance. All items were seized as evidence and will be submitted to the St. Louis County Crime Lab for analysis. Pending lab results, the case will be presented to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.
That night, Officers responded to the 6300 block of N. Rosebury regarding a burglary that had just been discovered. The reporting party explained that a few weeks before, he had noticed items in the shared basement appeared to have been moved or rummaged through. Nothing had appeared to have been forced or damaged, so the oddities had not been reported to the CPD. However, upon speaking with neighbors, he learned that some of their items were missing.
One man reported that he had ordered a textbook and received a notification that the package was delivered to the building on Wednesday. He later found the open package discarded in the basement, and the book was missing. Another neighbor received a notification that his out-of-state vehicle registration tabs had been delivered to the building on Monday, but he never received the package. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
Officers responded to a report of a vehicle facing the wrong direction on the interstate on Saturday morning. The driver stated she had been driving northbound on I-170 when she had lost control of her vehicle. The car spun out and hit the concrete median before coming to a rest along the guardrail. The force of the collision caused her airbags to deploy. She complained of chest pain and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for further evaluation. Her vehicle sustained considerable damage and was towed from the scene.
Finally, Officers had to temporarily shut down the northbound lanes of I-170 early Sunday morning to allow MoDOT to clear water from the roadway. The continuous rainfall on Saturday had caused water to pool on the road just before Forest Park Parkway. Consequently, as vehicles drove through the water, drivers lost control of their vehicles, resulting in 9 separate crashes involving 10 vehicles between Saturday night and Sunday morning. All but one of the vehicles was towed from the scene. Two of the drivers complained of non-life-threatening injuries. One elected to seek medical attention independently, while the other was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Anyone with information about these or other investigations is asked to contact the CPD at (314)645-3000. Until next week, stay safe!
